
Class £F_Z\5 
Book <Q? C M 
Gopyrighffl 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



ilPO 






TO 

ARNOLD, HELEN, and EDWARD 



ifiiw 




Theseus and the Minotaur. 



Frontispiece 



IS 

ECLECTIC SCHOOL READINGS 



THE STORY OF GREECE 



BY 



H. A. GUERBER 




juie6\89« 



NEW YORK-:-CINCINNATI-:-CHICAGO 
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 



K 



Copyright, 1896, by 
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. 



STORY OF GREECE. 
W. P. I 






PREFACE. 



This elementary history of Greece is intended for supple- 
mentary reading or as a first history text-book for young pupils. 
It is therefore made up principally of stories about persons ; for, 
while history proper is largely beyond the comprehension of 
children, they are able at an early age to understand and enjoy 
anecdotes of people, especially of those in the childhood of civil- 
ization. At the same time, these stories will give a clear idea of 
the most important events that have taken place in the ancient 
world, and, it is hoped, will arouse a desire to read further. They 
also aim to enforce the lessons of perseverance, courage, patriot- 
ism, and virtue that are taught by the noble lives described. 

A knowledge of ancient history, however superficial, is of very 
great value ; and the classic legends are almost equally worth 
knowing, because of the prominent part they play in the world's 
literature. These tales make a deep impression on the minds of 
children, and the history thus learned almost in play will cling to 
the memory far more tenaciously than any lessons subsequently 
conned. 

Many children leave school unacquainted with any history 
except that of the United States ; which, dealing with less simple 
and primitive times than that of Greece, is apt to be so unattrac- 
tive that the child never afterwards reads any historical works. 
It has been my intention to write a book which will give children 

5 



pleasure to read, and will thus counteract the impression that 
history is uninteresting. 

A few suggestions to teachers may not be considered superflu- 
ous. In the first place, I have found historical anecdotes an 
excellent aid in teaching English. Pupils find it far from irksome 
to relate the stories in their own words, and to reproduce them 
in compositions. Secondly, whenever a city or country is men- 
tioned, every pupil should point out its location on the map. By 
such means only can any one properly understand an historical 
narrative ; and in the present case there is the added reason that 
the practice will go far towards increasing the child's interest in 
geography. Lastly, the teacher should take great care that the 
proper names are correctly pronounced. The most common 
errors are provided against in the text ; for, on the first occur- 
rence of such a word, it is divided into syllables, with the accent 
marked. It remains fot- the teacher to enforce the ordinary rules 
as to the proper sounds of vowels and consonants. 

H. A. G. 



CONTENTS. 















PAGE 


Map . 


between 10 and u 


I. 


Early Inhabitants of Greece . 




ii 


II. 


The Deluge of Ogyges . 










• 13 


III. 


The Founding of Many Important 


Citie 


s 






• is 


IV. 


Story of Deucalion 










. 19 


V. 


Story of Daedalus and Icarus 










21 


VI. 


The Adventures of Jason 










. 24 


VII. 


Theseus visits the Labyrinth 










. 26 


VIII. 


The Terrible Prophecy . 










. 29 


IX. 


The Sphinx's Riddle 










• 30 


X. 


Blindness and Death of CEdipus 










34 


XI. 


The Brothers 1 Quarrel . 










37 


XII. 


The Taking of Thebes . 










39 


XIII. 


The Childhood of Paris 










4i 


XIV. 


The Muster of the Troops 










44 


XV. 


The Sacrifice of Iphigenia 










46 


XVI. 


The Wrath of Achilles . . 










48 


XVII. 


Death of Hector and Achilles 










50 


XVIII. 


The Burning of Troy . 










5 2 


XIX. 


Heroic Death of Codrus 










55 


XX. 


The Blind Poet .... 










57 


XXI. 


The Rise of Sparta 










61 


XXII. 


The Spartan Training ...... 




62 


XXIII. 


The Brave Spartan Boy 

7 











64 






8 



XXIV. Public Tables in Sparta . 

XXV. Laws of Lycurgus . 

XXVI. The Messenian War 

XXVII. The Music of Tyrtaeus . 

XXVIII. Aristomenes 1 Escape 

XXIX. The Olympic Games 

XXX. Milo of Croton 

XXXI. The Jealous Athlete 

XXXII. The Girls' Games . 

XXXIII. • The Bloody Laws of Draco 

XXXIV. The Laws of Solon . 
XXXV. The First Plays 

XXXVI. The Tyrant Pisistratus . 

XXXVII. The Tyrant's Insult 

.XXXVIII. Death of the Conspirators 

XXXIX. Hippias driven out of Athens 

XL. The Great King 

XLI. Hippias visits Darius 

XLII. Destruction of the Persian Host 

XLIII. The Advance of the Second Host 

XLIV. The Battle of Marathon . 

XLV. Miltiades 1 Disgrace . 

XLVI. Aristides the Just . 

XLVH. Two Noble Spartan Youths . 

XLVIII. The Great Army . 

XLIX. Preparations for Defense . 

L. Leonidas at Thermopylae 

LI. Death of Leonidas . 

LII. The Burning of Athens . 

LIII. The Battles of Salamis and Plataea 

LIV. The Rebuilding of Athens 

LV. Death of Pausanias . 

LVI. Cimon improves Athens . 














PAGE 


LVII. 


The Earthquake 143 


LVIII. 


The Age of Pericles .... 






I46 


LIX. 


The Teachings of Anaxagoras . ■ 






151 


LX. 


Beginning of the Peloponnesian Wa v 






152 


LXI. 


Death of Pericles ..... 






155 


LXII. 


The Philosopher Socrates 






157 


LXIII. 


Socrates 1 Favorite Pupil 






159 


LXIV. 


Youth of Alcibiades 






I63 


LXV. 


Greek Colonies in Italy . 






. 165 


LXVI. 


Alcibiades in Disgrace . 






. I67 


LXVII. 


Death of Alcibiades 






I69 


LXVIII. 


The Overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants 






171 


LXIX. 


Accusation of Socrates . 






• 173 


LXX. 


Death of Socrates .... 






• 175 


LXXI. 


The Defeat of Cyrus 






. 180 


LXXII. 


The Retreat of the Ten Thousand 






182 


LXXIII. 


Agesilaus in Asia ..... 






185 


LXXIV. 


A Strange Interview 






. 186 


LXXV. 


The Peace of Antalcidas 






. 189 


LXX VI. 


The Theban Friends 






. 190 


LXXVII. 


Thebes Free once more *P 






. 192 


LXXVIII. 


The Battle of Leuctra . 






■ i,95 


LXXIX. 


Death of Pelopidas . 






• 197 


LXXX. 


The Battle of Mantinea 






. 199 


LXXXI. 


The Tyrant of Syracuse 






. 201 


LXXXII. 


Story of Damon and Pythias 






. 204 


LXXXIII. 


The Sword of Damocles 






. 208 


LXXXIV. 


Dion and Dionysius 






. 210 


LXXXV. 


Civil War in Syracuse . 






. 212 


LXXX VI. 


Death of Dion .... 






. 214 


LXXXVII. 


Philip of Macedon 






. 217 


LXXXVIII. 


Philip begins his Conquests . 






. 219 


LXXXIX. 


The Orator Demosthenes 






. 221 



IO 



xc. 

XCI. 

XGII. 
XCIII. 
XCIV. 

XCV. 

XCVI. 

XCVII. 

XCVIII. 

XCIX. 

c. 

CI. 
CII. 

cm. 

CIV. 
~€V. 

CVI. 

CVII. 

CVIII. 

CIX. 

ex. 

CXI. 

CXII. 

CXIII. 

CXIV. 

CXV. 

Index 













PAGE 


Philip masters Greece . . . . . . 224 


Birth of Alexander 








227 


The Steed Bucephalus 










229 


Alexander as King 










232 


Alexander and Diogenes 










234 


Alexander's Brilliant Beginning . 










236 


The Gordian Knot 










238 


Alexander's Royal Captives 










241 


Alexander at Jerusalem 










242 


The African Desert 










244 


Death of Darius 










247 


Defeat of Porus . 










249 


The Return to Babylon 










251 


Death of Alexander the Great 










252 


The Division of the Realm 










2 55 


Death of Demosthenes 










■ 257 


The Last of the Athenians 










260 


The Colossus of Rhodes 










. 262 


The Battle of Ipsus 










. 265 


Demetrius and the Athenians 










. 266 


The Achaean League . 










. 268 


Division in Sparta 










. 270 


Death of Agis . • . 










• 274 


The War of the Two Leagues 










. 276 


The Last of the Greeks 










. 278 


Greece a Roman Province . 










. 280 
. 283 



THE STORY OF GREECE. 



-OO^OO- 



I. EARLY INHABITANTS OF GREECE. 



ALTHOUGH Greece (or Hel'las) is only half as large 
as the State of New York, it holds a very impor- 
tant place in the history of the world. It is situated in 
the southern part of Europe, cut off from the rest of the 
continent by a chain of high mountains which form a 
great wall on the north. It is surrounded on nearly 
all sides by the blue waters of the Med-it-er-ra'ne-an Sea, 
which stretch so far inland that it is said no part of 
the country is forty miles from the sea, or ten miles 
from the hills. Thus shut in by sea and mountains, it 
forms a little territory by itself, and it was the home of 
a noted people. 

The history of Greece goes back to the time when 
people did not know how to write, and kept no record 
of what was happening around them. For a long 
while the stories told by parents to their children were 
the only information which could be had about the 
country and its former inhabitants ; and these stories, 
slightly changed by every new teller, grew more and 



u 



12 



more extraordinary as time passed. At last they were 
so changed that no one could tell where the truth ended 
and fancy began. 

The beginning of Greek history is therefore like 
a fairy tale ; and while much of it cannot, of course, be 
true, it is the only information we have about the early 
Greeks. It is these strange fireside stories, which used 
to • amuse Greek children so many years ago, that you 
are first going to hear. 

About two thousand years before the birth of Christ, 
in the days when Isaac wanted to go down into Egypt, 
Greece was inhabited by a savage race of men called 
the Pe-las'gi-ans. They lived in the forests, or in caves 
hollowed out of the mountain side, and hunted wild 
beasts with great clubs and stone-tipped arrows and 
spears. They were so rude and wild that they ate 
nothing but raw meat, berries, and the roots which they 
dug up with sharp stones or even with their hands. 

For clothing, the Pelasgians used the skins of the 
beasts they had killed ; and to protect themselves against 
other savages, they gathered together in families or tribes, 
each having a chief who led in war and in the chase. 

There were other far more civilized nations in those 
days. Among these were the E-gyp'tians, who lived in 
Africa. They had long known the use of fire, had good 
tools, and were much further advanced than the Pelas- 
gians. They had learned not only to build houses, but 
to erect the most wonderful monuments in the world, 
— the Pyr'a-mids, of which you have no doubt heard. 

In Egypt there were at that time a number of learned 
men. They were acquainted with many of the arts and sci- 



13 

ences, and recorded all they knew in a peculiar writing 
of their own invention. Their neighbors, the Phce-ni'- 
cians, whose land also bordered on the Mediterranean 
Sea, were quite civilized too; and as both of these nations 
had ships, they soon began to sail all around that great 
inland sea. 

As they had no compass, the Egyptian and Phoenician 
sailors did not venture out of sight of land. They first 
sailed along the shore, and then to the islands which 
they could see far out on the blue waters. 

When they had come to one island, they could see 
another still farther on ; for, as you will see on any 
map, the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and 
Asia, is dotted with islands, which look like stepping- 
stones going from one coast to the other. 

Advancing thus carefully, the Egyptians and Phoe- 
nicians finally came to Greece, where they made settle- 
ments, and began to teach the Pelasgians many useful 
and important things. 

II. THE DELUGE OF OGYGES. 

THE first Egyptian who thus settled in Greece was 
a prince called In'a-chus. Landing in that country, 
which has a most delightful climate, he taught the Pelas- 
gians how to make fire and how to cook their meat. He 
also showed them how to build comfortable homes by 
piling up stones one on top of another, much in the 
same way as the farmer makes the stone walls around his 
fields. 



14 

The Pelasgians were intelligent, although so uncivilized ; 
and they soon learned to build these walls higher, in order 
to keep the wild beasts away from their homes. Then, 
when they had learned the use of bronze and iron tools, 
they cut the stones into huge blocks of regular shape. 

These stone blocks were piled one upon another so 
cleverly that some of the walls are still standing, although 
no mortar was used to hold the stones together. Such 
was the strength of the Pelasgians, that they raised huge 
blocks to great heights, and made walls which their de- 
scendants declared must have been built by giants. 

As the Greeks called their giants Cy'clops, which means 
"round-eyed," they soon called these walls Cy-clo-pe'an ; 
and, in pointing them out to their children, they told 
strange tales of the great giants who had built them, and 
always added that these huge builders had but one eye, 
which was in the middle of the forehead. 

Some time after Inachus the Egyptian had thus taught 
the Pelasgians the art of building, and had founded a 
city called Ar'gos, there came a terrible earthquake. The 
ground under the people's feet heaved and cracked, the 
mountains shook, the waters flooded the dry land, and 
the people fled in terror to the hills. 

In spite of the speed with which they ran, the waters 
soon overtook them. Many of the Pelasgians were thus 
drowned, while their terrified companions ran faster and 
faster up the mountain, nor stopped to rest until they 
were quite safe. 

Looking down upon the plains where they had once 
lived, they saw them all covered with water. They 
were now forced to build new homes ; but when the 



i5 

waters little by little sank into the ground, or flowed 
back into the sea, they were very glad to find that 
some of their thickest walls had resisted the earthquake 
and flood, and were still standing firm. 

The memory of the earthquake and flood was very 
clear, however. The poor Pelasgians could not forget 
their terror and the sudden death of so many friends, 
and they often talked about that horrible time. As this 
flood occurred in the days when Og'y-ges was king, it 
has generally been linked to his name, and called the 
Deluge (or flood) of Ogyges. 



III. THE FOUNDING OF MANY IMPORTANT 

CITIES. 

SOME time after Inachus had built Argos, another 
Egyptian prince came to settle in Greece. His 
name was Ce'crops, and, as he came to Greece after 
the Deluge of Ogyges, he found very few inhabitants 
left. He landed, and decided to build a city on a prom- 
ontory northeast of Argos. Then he invited all the 
Pelasgians who had not been drowned in the flood to 
join him. 

The Pelasgians, glad to find such a wise leader, gathered 
around him, and they soon learned to plow the fields 
and to sow wheat. Under Cecrops' orders they also 
planted olive trees and vines, and learned how to press 
the oil from the olives and the wine from the grapes. 
Cecrops taught them how to harness their oxen ; and 



i6 



before long the women began to spin the wool of their 
sheep, and to weave it into rough woolen garments, 
which were used for clothing, instead of the skins of 
wild beasts. 

After building several small towns in At'ti-ca, Cecrops 

founded a larger one, which was 
at first called Ce-cro'pi-a in 
honor of himself. This name, 
however, was soon changed 
to Ath'ens to please A-the'ne 
(or Mi-ner'va), a goddess 
whom the people wor- 
shiped, and who was 
said to watch over the 
welfare of this her fa- 
vorite city. 

When Cecrops died, 
he was followed by other 
princes, who continued 
teaching the people 
many useful things, 
such as the training 
and harnessing of hor- 
ses, the building of carts, 
and the proper way of 
harvesting grain. One prince 
even showed them how to 
make beehives, and how to use the honey as an article of 
food. 

As the mountain sides in Greece are covered with a car- 
pet of wild, sweet-smelling herbs and flowers, the Greek 




Athene. 



17 

honey is very good ; and people say that the best honey in 
the world is made by the bees on Mount Hy-met'tus, near 
Athens, where they gather their golden store all summer 
long. 

Shortly after the building of Athens, a Phoenician 
colony, led by Cad'mus, settled a neighboring part of 
the country, called Bce-o'tia, where they founded the city 
which was later known as Thebes. Cadmus also taught 
the people many useful things, among others the art of 
trade (or commerce) and that of navigation (the building 
and using of ships); but, best of all, he brought the 
alphabet to Greece, and showed the people how to ex- 
press their thoughts in writing. 

Almost at the same time that Cadmus founded Thebes, 
an Egyptian called Dan'a-us came to Greece, and settled 
a colony on the same spot where that of Inachus had 
once been. The new Argos rose on the same place as 
the old ; and the country around it, called Ar'go-lis, was 
separated from Bceotia and Attica only by a long narrow 
strip of land, which was known as the Isthmus of Cor- 
inth. 

Danaus not only showed the Pelasgians all the useful 
arts which Cadmus and Cecrops had taught, but also 
helped them to build ships like that in which he had 
come to Greece. He also founded religious festivals or 
games in honor of the harvest goddess, De-me'ter. The 
women were invited to these games, and they only were 
allowed to bear torches in the public processions, where 
they sang hymns in honor of the goddess. 

The descendants of Danaus long ruled over the land ; 
and one member of his family, Per'seus, built the town of 

STO. OF GR. — 2 



i8 



My-ce'nae on a spot where many of the Pelasgian stone 
walls can still be seen. 

The Pelasgians who joined this young hero helped 
him to build great walls all around his town. These 
were provided with massive gateways and tall towers, 
from which the soldiers could overlook the whole coun- 
try, and see the approach of an enemy from afar. 




The Lion Gate, Mycenae. 

This same people built tombs for some of the ancient 
kings, and many treasure and store houses. These build- 
ings, buried under earth and rubbish, were uncovered a few 
years ago. In the tombs were found swords, spears, and 
remains of ancient armor, gold ornaments, ancient pieces 
of pottery, human bones, and, strangest of all, thin masks 



19 

of pure gold, which covered the faces of some of the 
dead. 

Thus you see, the Pelasgians little by little joined the 
new colonies which came to take possession of the land, 
and founded little states or countries of their own, each 
governed by its own king, and obeying its own laws. 

o-0>©^00 



IV. STORY OF DEUCALION. 

THE Greeks used to tell their children that Deu-ca'li-on, 
the leader of the Thes-sa'li-ans, was a descendant of 
the gods, for each part of the country claimed that its 
first great man was the son of a god. It was under the 
reign of Deucalion that another flood took place. This 
was even more terrible than that of Ogyges ; and all the 
people of the neighborhood fled in haste to the high 
mountains north of Thes'sa-ly, where they were kindly 
received by Deucalion. 

When all danger was over, and the waters began to 
recede, they followed their leader down into the plains 
again. This soon gave rise to a wonderful story, which 
you will often hear. It was said that Deucalion and his 
wife Pyr'rha were the only people left alive after the flood. 
When the waters had all gone, they went down the moun- 
tain, and found that the temple at Del'phi, where they 
worshiped their gods, was still standing unharmed. They 
entered, and, kneeling before the altar, prayed for help. 

A mysterious voice then bade them go down the moun- 
tain, throwing their mother's bones behind them. They 
were very much troubled when they heard this, until 



20 



Deucalion said that a voice from heaven could not have 
meant them to do any harm. In thinking over the real 
meaning of the words he had heard, he told his wife, that, 
as the Earth is the mother of all creatures, her bones 
must mean the stones. 

Deucalion and Pyrrha, therefore, went slowly down the 
mountain, throwing the stones behind them. The Greeks 
used to tell that a sturdy race of men sprang up from 
the stones cast by Deucalion, while beautiful women came 
from those cast by Pyrrha. 

The country was soon peopled by the children of these 
men, who always proudly declared that the story was 
true, and that they sprang from the race which owed its 
birth to this great miracle. Deucalion reigned over this 
people as long as he lived ; and when he died, his two 
sons, Am-phic'ty-on and Hel'len, became kings in his 
stead. The former staid in Thessaly ; and, hearing that 
some barbarians called Thra'cians were about to come over 
the mountains and drive his people away, he called the 
chiefs of all the different states to a council, to ask their 
advice about the best means of defense. All the chiefs 
obeyed the summons, and met at a place in Thessaly 
where the mountains approach the sea so closely as to 
leave but a narrow pass between. In the pass are hot 
springs, and so it was called Ther-mop'y-lae, or the Hot 
Gateway. 

The chiefs thus gathered together called this assembly 
the Am-phic-ty-on'ic Council, in honor of Amphictyon. 
After making plans to drive back the Thracians, they de- 
cided to meet once a year, either at Thermopylae or at the 
temple at Delphi, to talk over all important matters. 



21 



V. STORY OF DAEDALUS AND ICARUS. 

H ELLEN, Deucalion's second son, finding Thessaly 
too small to give homes to all the people, went 
southward with a band of hardy followers, and settled 
in another part of the country which we call Greece, but 
which was then, in honor of him, called Hellas, while his 
people were called Hel-le'nes, or subjects of Hellen. 

When Hellen died, he left his kingdom to his three sons, 
Do'rus, /E'o-lus, and Xu'thus. Instead of dividing their 
father's lands fairly, the eldest two sons quarreled with 
the youngest, and finally drove him away. Homeless 
and poor, Xuthus now went to Athens, where he was 
warmly welcomed by the king, who not only treated 
him very kindly, but also gave him his daughter in mar- 
riage, and promised that he should inherit the throne. 

This promise was duly kept, and Xuthus the exile 
ruled over Athens. When he died, he left the crown 
to his sons, Ton and A-chae'us. 

As the A-the'ni-ans had gradually increased in number 
until their territory was too small to afford a living 
to all the inhabitants, Ion and Achaeus, even in their 
father's lifetime, led some of their followers along the 
Isthmus of Corinth, and down into the peninsula, where 
they founded two flourishing states, called, after them, 
A-cha'ia and I-omi-a. Thus, while northern Greece was 
pretty equally divided between the Do'ri-ans and /£-o'li- 
ans, descendants and subjects of Dorus and JEolus, the 
peninsula was almost entirely in the hands of the I-o'ni-ans 
and. A-chae'ans, who built towns, cultivated the soil, and 



22 



became bold navigators. They ventured farther and 
farther out at sea, until they were familiar with all the 
neighboring bays and islands. 

Sailing thus from place to place, the Hellenes came 
at last to Crete, a large island south of Greece. This 
island was then governed by a very wise king called 
Mi'nos. The laws of this monarch were so just that 
all the Greeks admired them very much. When he 
died, they even declared that the gods had called him 
away to judge the dead in Ha'des, and to decide what 
punishments and rewards the spirits deserved. 

Although Minos was very wise, he had a subject 
named Daed'a-lus who was even wiser than he. This 
man not only invented the saw and the potter's wheel, 
but also taught the people how to rig sails for their 
vessels. 

As nothing but oars and paddles had hitherto been 
used to propel ships, this last invention seemed very 
wonderful ; and, to compliment Daedalus, the people 
declared that he had given their vessels wings, and had 
thus enabled them to fly over the seas. 

Many years after, when sails were so common that 
they ceased to excite any wonder, the people, forgetting 
that these were the wings which Daedalus had made, 
invented a wonderful story, which runs as follows. 

Minos, King of Crete, once sent for" Daedalus, and bade 
him build a maze, or labyrinth, with so many rooms and 
winding halls, that no one, once in it, could ever find 
his way out again. 

Daedalus set to work and built a maze so intricate 
that neither he nor his son Ic'a-rus, who was with him, 




Daedalus and Icarus. 



24 

could get out. Not willing to remain there a prisoner, 
Daedalus soon contrived a means of escape. 

He and Icarus first gathered together a large quantity 
of feathers, out of which Daedalus cleverly made two 
pairs of wings. When these were fastened to their 
shoulders by means of wax, father and son rose up 
like birds and flew away. In spite of his father's 
cautions, Icarus rose higher and higher, until the heat 
of the sun melted the wax, so that his wings dropped 
off, and he fell into the sea and was drowned. His 
father, more prudent than he, flew low, and reached 
Greece in safety. There he went on inventing useful 
things, often gazing out sadly over the waters in which 
Icarus had perished, and which, in honor of the drowned 
youth, were long known as the I-ca'ri-an Sea. 



VI. THE ADVENTURES OF JASON. 

THE Hellenes had not long been masters of all 
Greece, when a Phryg'i-an called Pe'lops became 
master of the peninsula, which from him received the 
name of Pel-o-pon-ne'sus. He first taught the people to 
coin money ; and his descendants, the Pe-lop'i-dae, took 
possession of all the land around them, with the excep- 
tion of Argolis, where the Da-na'i-des continued to 
reign. 

Some of the Ionians and Achaeans, driven away from 
their homes by the Pelopidae, went on board their many 
vessels, and sailed away. They formed Hel-len'ic colo- 



25 

nies in the neighboring islands along the coast of Asia 
Minor, and even in the southern part of Italy. 

As some parts of Greece were very thinly settled, and 
as the people clustered around the towns where their 
rulers dwelt, there were wide, desolate tracts of land 
between them. Here were many wild beasts and robbers, 
who lay in wait for travelers on their way from one settle- 
ment to another. The robbers, who hid in the forests 
or mountains, were generally feared and disliked, until at 
last some brave young warriors made up their minds to 
fight against them and to kill them all. These young 
men were so brave that they well deserved the name of 
heroes, which has always been given them ; and they 
met with many adventures about which the people loved 
to hear. Long after they had gone, the inhabitants, re- 
membering their relief when the robbers were killed, 
taught their children to honor these brave young men 
almost as much as the gods, and they called the time 
when they lived the Heroic Age. 

Not satisfied with freeing their own country from 
wild men and beasts, the heroes wandered far away 
from home in search of further adventures. These have 
also been told over and over again to children of all 
countries and ages, until every one is expected to know 
something about them. Fifty of these heroes, for in- 
stance, went on board of a small vessel called the "Argo," 
sailed across the well-known waters, and ventured boldly 
into unknown seas. They were in search of a Golden 
Fleece, which they were told they would find in Col'chis, 
where it was said to be guarded by a great dragon. 

The leader of these fifty adventurers was Ja'son, an 



26 



^Eolian prince, who brought them safely to Colchis, 
whence, as the old stories relate, they brought back the 
Golden Fleece. They also brought home the king's 
daughter, who married Jason, and ruled his kingdom 
with him. Of course, as there was no such thing as a 
Golden Fleece, the Greeks merely used this expression 
to tell about the wealth which they got in the East, and 
carried home with them ; for the voyage of the " Argo " 
was in reality the first distant commercial journey under- 
taken by the Greeks. 



-<K>>©4C 



VII. THESEUS VISITS THE LABYRINTH. 

ON cqming back from the quest for the Golden 
Fleece, the heroes returned to their own homes, 
where they continued their efforts to make their people 
happy. 

The'seus, one of the heroes, returned to Athens, and 
founded a yearly festival in honor of the goddess Athene. 
This festival was called Pan-ath-e-nae'a, which means " all 
the worshipers of Athene." It proved a great success, 
and was a bond of union among the people, who thus 
learned each other's customs and manners, and grew 
more friendly than if they had always staid at home. 
Theseus is one of the best-known among all the Greek 
heroes. Besides going with Jason in the "Argo," he 
rid his country of many robbers, and sailed to Crete. 
There he visited Minos, the king, who, having some 
time before conquered the Athenians, forced them to 



27 

send him every year a shipload of youths and maidens, 
to feed to a monster which he kept in the Labyrinth. 

To free his country from this tribute, Theseus, of his 
own free will, went on board the ship. When he reached 
Crete, he went first into the Labyrinth, and killed the 
monster with his sword. Then he found his way out of 
the maze by means of a long thread which the king's 
daughter had given him. One end of it he carried 
with him as he entered, while the other end was fas- 
tened to the door. 

His old father, ^E'geus, who had allowed him to go 
only after much persuasion, had told him to change the 
black sails of his vessel for white if he were lucky 
enough to escape. Theseus promised to do so, but he 
entirely forgot it in the joy of his return. 

^Egeus, watching for the vessel day after day, saw it 
coming back at last ; and when the sunlight fell upon the 
black sails, he felt sure that his son was dead. 

His grief was so great at this loss, that he fell from 
the rock where he was standing down into the sea, and 
was drowned. In memory of him, the body of water near 
the rock is still known as the /E-ge'an Sea. 

When Theseus reached Athens, and heard of his 
father's grief and sudden death, his heart was filled 
with sorrow and remorse, and he loudly bewailed the 
carelessness which had cost his father's life. 

Theseus now became King of Athens, and ruled his 
people very wisely for many years. He took part in 
many adventures and battles, lost two wives and a be- 
loved son, and in his grief and old age became so cross 
and harsh that his people ceased to love him. 



28 



They finally grew so tired of his cruelty, that they 
all rose up against him, drove him out of the city, and 
forced him to take up his abode on the Island of Scy'ros. 
Then, fearing that he might return unexpectedly, they 
told the king of the island to watch him night and day, 
and to seize the first good opportunity to get rid of him. 
In obedience to these orders, the king escorted Theseus 
wherever he went ; and one day, when they were both 
walking along the edge of a tall cliff, he suddenly 
pushed Theseus over it. Unable to defend or save him- 
self, Theseus fell on some sharp rocks far below, and was 
instantly killed. 

The Athenians rejoiced greatly when they heard of his 
death ; but they soon forgot his harshness, remembered 
only his bravery and all the good he had done them in 
his youth, and regretted their ingratitude. Long after, 
as you will see, his body was carried to Athens, and buried 
not far from the A-crop'o-lis, which was a fortified hill or 
citadel in the midst of the city. Here the Athenians built 
a temple over his remains, and worshiped him as a god. 

While Theseus was thus first fighting for his subjects, 
and then quarreling with them, one of his companions, 
the hero Her'cu-les (or Her'a-cles) went back to the Pelo- 
ponnesus, where he had been born. There his descend- 
ants, the Her-a-cli'dae, soon began fighting with the 
Pelopidae for the possession of the land. 

After much warfare, the Heraclidae were driven away, 
and banished to Thessaly, where they were allowed to 
remain only upon condition that they would not attempt 
to renew their quarrel with the Pelopidae for a hundred 
years. 



29 



VIII. THE TERRIBLE PROPHECY. 

WHILE Theseus was reigning over the Athenians, 
the neighboring throne of Thebes, in Bceotia, 
*was occupied by King La'ius and Queen Jo-cas'ta. In 
those days the people thought they could learn about the 
future by consulting the oracles, or priests who dwelt 
in the temples, and pretended to give mortals messages 
from the gods. 

Hoping to learn what would become of himself and 
of his family, Laius sent rich gifts to the temple at 
Delphi, asking what would befall him in the coming 
years. The messenger soon returned, but, instead of 
bringing cheerful news, he tremblingly repeated the ora- 
cle's words : " King Laius, you will have a son who will 
murder his father, marry his mother, and bring destruc- 
tion upon his native city ! "' 

This news filled the king's heart with horror ; and 
when, a few months later, a son was born to him, he made 
up his mind to kill him rather than let him live to com- 
mit such fearful crimes. But Laius was too gentle to harm 
a babe, and so ordered a servant to carry the child 
out of the town and put him to death. 

The man obeyed the first part of the king's orders ; 
but when he had come to a lonely spot on the mountain, 
he could not make up his mind to kill the poor little 
babe. Thinking that the child would soon die if left on 
this lonely spot, the servant tied him to a tree, and, going 
back to the city, reported that he had gotten rid of him. 

No further questions were asked, and all thought that 



;o 



the child was dead. It was not so, however. His cries 
had attracted the attention of a passing shepherd, who 
carried him home, and, being too poor to keep him, 
took him to the King of Corinth. As the king had no 
children, he gladly adopted the little boy. 

When the queen saw that the child's ankles were swol^ 
len by the cord by which he had been hung to the tree, 
she tenderly cared for him, and called him CEd'i-pus, 
which means "the swollen-footed." This nickname clung" 
to the boy, who grew up thinking that the King and 
Queen of Corinth were his real parents. 



a^oo- 



IX. THE SPHINX'S RIDDLE. 

WHEN CEdipus was grown up, he once went to a fes- 
tival, where his proud manners so provoked one 
of his companions, that he taunted him with being only 
a foundling. CEdipus, seeing the frightened faces around 
him, now for the first time began to think that perhaps he 
had not been told the truth about his parentage. So he 
consulted an oracle. 

Instead of giving him a plain answer, — a thing which 
the oracles were seldom known to do, — the voice said, 
" CEdipus, beware ! You are doomed to kill your father, 
marry your mother, and bring destruction upon your na- 
tive city ! " 

Horrified at this prophecy, and feeling sure that the 
King and Queen of Corinth were his parents, and that the 
oracle's predictions threatened misfortunes to them, CEdi- 



3i 



pus made up his mind to leave home forever. He did not 
even dare to return to bid his family good-by, and he 
started out alone and on foot to seek his fortunes else- 
where. 

As he walked, he thought of his misfortunes, and grew 
very bitter against the cruel goddess of fate, whom he 
had been taught to fear. He fancied that this goddess 
could rule things as she pleased, and that it was she who 
had said he would commit the dreadful crimes which he 
was trying to avoid. 

After several days' aimless wandering, CEdipus came at 
last to some crossroads. There he met an old man riding 
in a chariot, and preceded by a herald, who haughtily 
bade CEdipus make way for his master. 

As GEdipus had been brought up as a prince, he was 
in the habit of seeing everybody make way for him. He 
therefore proudly refused to stir; and when the herald 
raised his staff to strike, CEdipus drew his sword and 
killed him. 

The old man, indignant at this deed of violence, stepped 
out of his chariot and attacked CEdipus. Now, the young 
man did not know that it was his father Laius whom he 
thus met for the first time, so he fell upon and killed 
him also. The servants too were all slain when they in 
turn attacked him ; and then CEdipus calmly continued 
his journey, little suspecting that the first part of the 
oracle's prediction had been fulfilled. 

Soon after this fight, CEdipus came to the city of 
Thebes. The streets were filled with excited people, all 
talking at once; and the young prince, in listening to 
what they said, soon learned the cause of their excitement. 




s 



33 * 

It seems that a terrible monster called the Sphinx had 
taken up its station on one of the principal roads lead- 
ing to the town, and would allow no one to pass who 
could not answer a riddle which it asked. This creature 
had the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and the 
wings of an eagle; and, as it ate up all those who could 
not guess its riddle, the people were very much frightened. 

Many persons had already been slain ; for, although 
the bravest men had gone out to kill it, they had lost 
their lives in the attempt, as no one could harm it unless 
he guessed the mysterious riddle. 

Laius, the king, hoping to learn from the oracle at 
Delphi the answer to the riddle, had ridden off in his 
chariot ; but the people grew more excited still, when a 
messenger came running into the town, and said that 
the king and all his servants had been killed by robbers, 
and that their dead bodies had been found in the middle 
of the road. 

CEdipus paid no attention to this news ; for he little 
suspected that the old man whom he had killed was the 
king, whom everybody loved, and for whom they now 
mourned with noisy grief. 

He was, however, deeply interested in the story of the 
Sphinx ; and he was so sure that he could guess the 
riddle, that he immediately set out to find the monster. 
He walked boldly along the road until stopped by the 
Sphinx, which told him to answer this riddle if he 
wished to live : " What creature walks upon four feet 
in the morning, upon two at noon, and upon three at 
night?" 

After a few moments' deep thought, CEdipus answered 

STO. OF GR. — 3 



34 

that the creature was man. "For," said he, "in the 
morning of life, or in babyhood, man creeps on hands 
and knees ; at noon, or in manhood, he walks erect ; and 
at evening, or in old age, he supports his tottering steps 

with a staff." 

« 

The Sphinx's riddle was guessed ; and the monster, 
knowing that its power was now at an end, tried to get 
away. But GEdipus would not allow it to do so; and, 
drawing his sword, he forced it back until it fell over 
a precipice, on the sharp stones below, and was dashed 
to pieces. 

o-O^XO* 

X. BLINDNESS AND DEATH OF CEDIPUS. 

BCEOTI A was now rid of the Sphinx ; and when the 
The'bans heard the joyful news of its death, they 
welcomed CEdipus with much joy. In reward for his 
bravery, they gave him not only the throne, but also 
the hand of Jocasta, the widowed queen. It was thus 
that GEdipus, although he did not know it, fulfilled the 
second part of the prophecy, and married his own 
mother. 

Several years now passed by, during which CEdipus 
ruled the Thebans so wisely, that they all loved him 
dearly, and went to him for advice in all their troubles. 
Finally the good times came to an end ; and the people 
were again terrified, because a plague, or great sickness, 
broke out in the city, and many of the inhabitants died. 

All kinds of medicines were tried, but without effect; 
and all the gods were asked to lend their aid. In despair, 



35 

■ 

CEdipus sent a messenger to Delphi to ask the oracle 
how the disease could be stopped. The oracle for once 
gave a plain answer, and said that the plague would 
cease only when the murderer of Laius had been found 
and punished. 

Investigations were now made for the first time, and 
it was found that GEdipus was the one who had slain 
the king. At the same time, the servant confessed that 
he had not killed the royal child ; and the shepherd 
told how he had found the babe and carried him to 
Corinth, where he had been adopted by the king. 

When CEdipus heard all this, he was driven almost 
mad with despair ; for now he knew not only that he had 
murdered his father and married his mother, but that it 
was on his account that the plague had caused the death 
of so many people in Thebes. 

In her horror and grief at this discovery, Queen Jo- 
casta killed herself. When CEdipus learned that she was 
dead, he ran into the room where she lay, and took one 
of the buckles which fastened her dress and put out his 
eyes with it, saying, that, since they had beheld such a 
sorrowful sight, they should never again see the light of 
day. 

To rid the city of his accursed presence, and thus, if 
possible, save it from the threatened destruction, CEdipus 
banished himself, and wandered away, old, blind, and poor, 
for he would take none of his riches with him. 

He departed sorrowfully, leaving his kingdom to his 
two sons, E-te'o-cles and Pol-y-ni'ces, and telling them 
to care for their sisters, An-tig'o-ne and Is-me'ne. 

Ismene wept bitterly when she said good-by to her 



36 

father; but Antigone placed her father's hand upon her 
shoulder, said that she would never forsake him, and left 
the city, tenderly supporting and guiding him. 

Father and daughter wandered thus from place to place, 
finding no rest ; for all the people shrank from even look- 
ing upon CEdipus, who, they said, was evidently accursed 
by the gods, since he had committed such frightful crimes. 

After many days' wandering and much fatigue, the 
exiles arrived at last on the border of a dark forest held 
sacred to the Furies, — the goddesses whose duty it was to 
punish all criminals by tormenting them as long as they 
lived, and even after they had died. 

When Antigone described to her poor blind father the 
place they had reached, he bade her remain by the road- 
side, and, groping his way, soon vanished into the forest. 
He had scarcely gone, when a terrible thunderstorm 
arose. The air grew dark, the lightning flashed, the 
thunder rolled, the trees bent and twisted in the wind ; 
and, although Antigone called her father again and again, 
she heard no answering cry. 

When morning came, she went to look for him, but 
found no trace of him. The people in the neighborhood 
then told her that the Furies had dragged her father 
away to punish him for his crimes, and Antigone sadly 
went back to Thebes. 

As soon as she arrived in the city, Antigone hastened 
to the palace to tell her brothers and sister about their 
father's sad death ; but when she entered her former 
happy home, she learned that there are sadder things tha^i 
death, for her brothers were no longer friends, and had 
begun a terrible quarrel. 



37 



XL THE BROTHERS' QUARREL. 

THE misfortunes of Thebes had not come to an end 
with the banishment of CEdipus, and fate was still 
against the unhappy city. The plague, it is true, had 
stopped ; but the two young princes were quarreling about 
the possession of the throne. 

Both wanted to reign, and neither wished to share the 
throne with his brother. After much dispute, they agreed 
at last that each should reign a year in turn. 

Eteocles, the elder, was of course allowed to rule dur- 
ing the first year ; while Polynices went to pay a visit to 
A-dras'tus, King of Argos. Here he was warmly wel- 
comed and hospitably entertained ; but when the year 
was ended, he hurried back to Thebes to reign in his 
turn. 

When he came to the city, however, Eteocles refused to 
give up the scepter, and, calling out his guards, made use 
of his power to drive Polynices out of the town. This was 
very wrong, for a promise should always be kept ; and it 
made Polynices so angry, that he said he would return 
with an army, and force his brother to act fairly. 

Polynices therefore hurried back to Argos, and soon 
persuaded Adrastus, with five other kings and noted 
warriors, to go with him to Thebes, and help him take 
the throne by force. 

When Eteocles heard that seven kings were coming 
with a large army to make him give up the throne of 
Thebes, he made up his mind to fight hard to keep it. 
After strengthening the city walls, laying in a great 



38 



stock of provisions, and securing the help of seven 
brave allies, Eteocles closed the gates of Thebes, and 
calmly awaited the arrival of the enemy. 

Meanwhile the seven chiefs were marching from 
Argos to Thebes. They came at last to the forest of 
Ne'me-a, where Hercules, the chief hero of Argos, had 
once slain a terrible lion. This monster had long lived 
in the forest, filling the hearts of all the people with 

dread ; and when Hercules 
came out of the forest, 
wearing the skin of the 
lion, they had greatly re- 
joiced. 

In honor of Hercules' 
victory over the Ne'me-an 
lion, the seven chiefs 
stopped in this spot to 
celebrate games, which 
they said should be held in 
that neighborhood every 
three years. This festi- 
val was ever after celebrated thus ; and when the people 
gathered together there to see the racing and boxing, 
they loved to recall the memory of the brave lion slayer, 
and of the seven kings who had first celebrated the 
Nemean games. 

When Polynices and his allies came at last to Thebes, 
they found all the gates closed ; and although they fought 
bravely, and tried hard to enter the city, they were kept 
at bay for seven long years. At the end of that time 
the people inside the city, and those without, were 




Hercules and the Nemean Lion. 



39 

equally tired of this long siege : so it was finally agreed 
that the two armies should meet on a neighboring plain 
and fight it out. 

The armies were led by the two brothers, who now 
hated each other so bitterly, that, instead of waiting 
for the signal for battle, they rushed upon each other, 
and both fell before any one could interfere. 

This terrible end of their quarrel filled the hearts of 
both armies with fear, and they agreed to make a truce 
in order to bury their chiefs. As it was customary at 
that time to burn the bodies of the dead, both corpses 
were laid upon the funeral pyre side by side. When the 
wood was all burned, the ashes were put into separate 
urns, for the Greeks used to tell their children that these 
brothers hated each other so much that even their ashes 
would not mingle. 

This story of CEdipus and his family is only a myth, 
but it is a very celebrated one. The Greeks wrote 
stories, poems, and plays about it, and it is on that 
account that it should be known by every one who 
wishes to study the history of Greece. 



>**;< 



XII. THE TAKING OF THEBES. 

THE terrible death of the two brothers Eteocles and 
Polynices did not, as you might suppose, end the 
siege of Thebes. No sooner were their funerals over, 
than both armies began to fight again ; and they con- 
tinued the contest until all the chiefs had been killed 
except Adrastus only. 



40 

Most of the soldiers had also been slain: so Adrastus 
made up his mind to go home, and wait until the sons of 
these fallen heroes were old enough to fight, before he 
went on with the war. As they thought it their duty to 
avenge all injuries, and especially the death of a rela- 
tive, Adrastus had no trouble in getting these youths to 
march against Thebes. So they began a second siege, 
which was known as the War of the E-pig'o-ni, or de- 
scendants, because the young warriors took up their 
fathers' quarrel. 

Such was the bravery of these young men, that they 
succeeded where their fathers had failed, and after a 
long struggle took the city of Thebes. As Polynices 
was dead, and could not claim the scepter he had so 
longed to possess, they put his son Ther-san'der upon 
the throne. 

This young man ruled for a while in peace ; but be- 
cause his sons were insane, the Thebans thought that 
the gods still hated the race of CEdipus : so they drove 
these princes away, and chose another and less unlucky 
family to rule over them instead. 

Even the daughters of CEdipus were very unhappy ; 
for Antigone, having taken the part of her brother Poly- 
nices, was put to death, while her sister Ismene died 
of grief. 

Such was the end of the race of CEdipus, — a king 
who has been considered the most unhappy man that 
ever lived, because, although he meant to be good, he 
was forced by fate to commit the most horrible crimes. 



41 



XIII. THE CHILDHOOD OF PARIS. 

IN those days, Pri'am and Hec'u-ba were King and 
Queen of Troy (or Il'i-um), — a beautiful city near 
the coast of Asia Minor, almost opposite Athens. They 
were the parents of a large family of sons and daugh- 
ters; and among the sons were Hec'tor and Par'is, young 
men of remarkable strength and beauty. 

Paris had had a very adventurous life. When he was 
but a little babe, his mother dreamed that she saw a 
flaming brand in the cradle, in the place where the child 
lay. This brand seemed to set fire to the cradle and all 
the palace ; and the queen, awaking with a start, was 
overjoyed to find that it was nothing but a dream. 

Men in those days believed that dreams were sent by 
the gods to warn them of coming events, and so Hecuba 
was very anxious to know what the burning brand 
meant. She told her husband all about it, and they 
finally decided to ask an oracle to explain the dream. 

A few days later the messenger they had sent to the 
oracle came home, and Hecuba shed many tears when 
he brought word that the child Paris was destined to 
bring destruction upon his native city. 

To escape this calamity, Priam ordered that Paris 
should be carried out of the city, and that he should 
be left in a forest, where the wild beasts would eat 
him up, or where he would be sure to die from hunger 
and cold. 

Poor little Paris was therefore lifted out of his com- 
fortable cradle, and left alone in the woods, where he 



42 

cried so hard that a passing hunter heard him. This 
man was so sorry for the poor child, that he carried 
him home to his wife, who brought the little stranger up 
with her own children. 

As he lived with hunters, Paris soon learned their ways ; 
and he became so active that when he was quite grown 
up he went to Troy to take part in the athletic games, 
which were often held there in honor of the gods. 
He was so strong that he easily won all the prizes, 
although Hector and the other young princes were also 
striving for them. 

When Paris went up to receive the crown of wild olive 
leaves which was the victor's prize, every one noticed his 
likeness to the royal family ; and his sister Cas-san'dra, 
who was able to foretell future events, said that he was 
the son of Priam and Hecuba, and that he would bring 
great misfortunes upon Troy. 

The king and queen paid no heed to these words, 
but gladly welcomed Paris home, and lavished all kinds 
of gifts upon him to make up for their cruelty and long 
neglect. 

Paris was so fond of change and adventure, that he 
soon grew tired of court life, and asked Priam for a 
ship, so that he might sail off to Greece. 

This request was readily granted, and Paris went 
away. The young prince sailed from island to island, 
and came at last to the southern part of the Pelopon- 
nesus, where the descendants of Hercules had founded 
the city of Sparta. Here he was warmly welcomed by 
King Men-e-la'us ; but this king was obliged to leave 
home shortly after the arrival of Paris, and he bade 



43 



Helen, his wife, the most beautiful woman in the world, 
do all she could to entertain the noble stranger. 

Helen was so kind to Paris that he soon fell in love 
with her. His greatest wish was to have her as his 
wife : so he began to tell her that Ve'nus, the goddess 
of love, had promised him 
that he should marry the 
most beautiful woman in 
the world. 

Talking thus day after 
day, the handsome young 
Paris finally persuaded 
Helen to leave her hus- 
band and home. She got 
on board of his vessel, 
and went with him to 
Troy as his wife. Of 
course, this wrongdoing 
could not bring happiness ; 
and not only were* they duly 
punished, but, as you will soon see, the crime of Paris 
brought suffering and death to his friends as well. 

When Menelaus came home and found that his guest 
had run away with his wife, he was very angry, and 
vowed that he would not rest until he had punished 
Paris and won back the beautiful Helen. 

He therefore made ready for war, and sent word to 
his friends and relatives to come and help him, telling 
them to meet him at Au'lis, a seaport, where they 
would find swift-sailing vessels to carry them across the 
sea to Troy. 




Menelaus. 



44 



XIV. THE MUSTER OF THE TROOPS. 

WHEN the neighboring kings and chiefs received 
Menelaus' message, they were delighted ; for 
fighting was their only occupation, and they enjoyed the 
din of battle more than anything else. They began to 
collect their soldiers, polish their arms, and man their 
vessels. Then, inviting all who wished to join them, they 
started out for Aulis, where they formed a huge army. 

Each of the parties was led by its own king or chief. 
Some of these chiefs were very brave, and their names 
are still well known. The leading ones among them 
were Nes'tor, the wisest man of his day, to whom every 
one came for good advice; and U-lys'ses, the crafty or 
sly king, who was so clever that he could easily outwit 
all men. 

There were also A'jax, the strongest man of his time; 
Thersander, the new king of Thebes, who came with the 
Epigoni; and Ag-a-menrnon, King of Mycenae, Mene- 
laus' brother, who was chosen chief of the whole army. 

The Greeks never began any undertaking without con- 
sulting the oracles to find out how it would end. Aga- 
memnon, therefore, consulted one of these soothsayers, 
who said that Troy would never be taken unless A-chil'les 
fought with the Greeks. 

When they heard this answer, the chiefs immediately 
asked who Achilles was, and they soon learned all about 
him. He was a young prince of whom it had been fore- 
told at the time of his birth that he would be the greatest 
warrior of his age, and that he would die young. His 



45 

mother, who loved him dearly, shed many tears when she 
heard these words, and made up her mind to do all she 
could to prevent this prophecy from coming true. 

She first carried Achilles, when but a baby, to the 
river Styx, for it was said that those who bathed in its 
waters could never be wounded. 

Afraid to let go of her child for fear he might drown, 
but anxious to make sure that the waters should touch 
every part of him, the mother plunged him into the 
rushing tide, holding him fast by one heel. 

This she held so tight that the waters never even 
wet it ; and it was only long after, when too late to 
remedy it, that an oracle told her that Achilles could be 
wounded in his heel, which the waters of the Styx had 
not touched. As soon as this good mother heard the 
first news of the coming war, her heart was troubled ; 
for she knew that Achilles, who was now a young man, 
would want to join the army, and she was afraid of losing 
him. 

To prevent his hearing anything about the war, she 
persuaded him to visit the King of Scyros. There, 
under pretext of a joke, he was induced to put on girl's 
clothes, and to pretend that he was a woman. 

The Greeks, after hearing the oracle's words, sent 
messengers for Achilles ; but they could not find him, 
as he had left home, and no one would tell them where 
he had goife. As it was of no use to set out without 
him, according to the oracle's answer, which they thor- 
oughly belie^d, the army lingered at Aulis in despair. 

Ulysses, seeing that they would never start unless 
Achilles were found, now offered to go and get him. 



4 6 

Disguised as a peddler, with a pack upon his back, he 
went first to Achilles' home, where the chattering maids 
told him all he wished to know, and thence he went to 
the Island of Scyros. 

Achilles was so well disguised that Ulysses could not 
tell him from the king's daughters and their maids : so 
he made use of a trick to find him out. Among the 
trinkets in his pack, he put a sword of fine workmanship, 
and, entering the palace, spread out his wares before the 
admiring maidens. They all gathered about him ; but, 
while the real girls went into raptures over his orna- 
ments, Achilles grasped the sword, drew it from the 
scabbard, carefully tested the blade, and swung it with 
a strong arm. 

Of course, Ulysses then easily saw that he was not 
a girl, and, slipping up to him, managed to whisper 
news of the coming war, and won his promise to join 
the army at Aulis in a few days. 



3>e<o^ 



XV. THE SACRIFICE OF IPHIGENIA. 

TRUE to his promise, Achilles soon came to Aulis 
with his well-trained soldiers, the Myr'mi-dons, and 
with him came his friend Pa-tro'clus. Ail were now 
eager to start, and ready to embark ; but unfortunately 
there was no favorable wind to fill their sails and waft 
them over to Asia Minor. • 

Day after day they waited, and offered sacrifices to 
the gods, but all in vain. At last they again consulted 



47 

the oracle, who said that the wind would not blow until 
Iph-i-ge-ni'a, Agamemnon's daughter, were offered up in 
sacrifice to Di-an'a, goddess of the moon and the chase, 
whom this king had once offended. 

Agamemnon at first said that he would not sacrifice his 
daughter, but finally his companions persuaded him to do 
so. Just as the priest was about to kill the maiden on the 
altar, however, the goddess Diana came, and carried her off 
unharmed, leaving a deer to be sacrificed in her stead. 

The deer was killed, the wind rose, the sails filled, and 
the Greek fleet soon came within sight of the high walls 
and towers of Troy. There, contrary to their expecta- 
tions, the Greeks found the people ready to fight them ; 
but, after many days' struggle, they saw that they had 
made no great advance. 

On the wide plain which stretched out between the 
city and the sea, the Greek and Tro'jan armies fought 
many a battle ; and sometimes one party, and sometimes 
the other, had the victory. The men on both sides had 
been trained to handle their weapons with great skill, 
and there were many fights in which the Greek heroes 
met the bravest Trojans. 

Nine years passed thus in continual warfare, but even 
then the Greeks were as far from taking the town as 
on the first day ; and the Trojans, in spite of all their 
courage, had not been able to drive their enemies away. 




4 8 



XVI. THE WRATH OF ACHILLES. 

IN all their battles, the booty won by the Greeks 
from the enemy had been divided among the chiefs 
and soldiers, and on one occasion female slaves were 
given to Agamemnon and Achilles. These girls were 
not born slaves, but were captives of war reduced to 
slavery, as was then the custom ; for, while the men and 
boys were always killed, the women and girls were forced 
to be the servants of the victors. 

Now, it happened that the slave given to Agamemnon 
was the daughter of a priest of A-pol'lo. He was very 
sorry when he heard - she had fallen into the hands of 
the Greeks, and sent a message to Agamemnon, offering 
to give him a large sum of money if he would only 
set her free. 

Agamemnon would not accept the money, and sent 
a rude message to the priest, who, in anger, asked 
Apollo to avenge this insult by sending a plague upon 
the Greeks. The god heard and granted this prayer, 
and soon all the soldiers in the Greek camp were suffer- 
ing from a terrible disease, of which many of them - 1 ied. 

As no remedy could relieve the sufferers, the Greek 
leaders consulted an oracle, to find out how the plague 
might be stopped. Then they learned that Apollo was 
angry with Agamemnon because he had refused to give up 
his slave, and that the Greeks would continue to suffer 
until he made up his mind to give her back to her father. 

Thus forced to give her up to save his men from fur- 
ther suffering and even from death, Agamemnon angrily 



49 

said he would take Achilles' slave instead, and he had 
her brought to wait upon him in his tent. 

Achilles, who wanted to save the Greeks from the 
plague, allowed the maiden to depart, warning Agamem- 
non, however, that he would no longer fight for a chief 
who could be so selfish and unjust. As soon as the girl 
had gone, therefore, he laid aside his fine armor ; and 
although he heard the call for battle, and the din of fight- 
ing, he staid quietly within his tent. 

While Achilles sat thus sulking day after day, his com- 
panions were bravely fighting. In spite of their bravery, 
however, the Trojans were gaining the advantage ; for, 
now that Achilles was no longer there to fill their hearts 
with terror, they fought with new courage. 

The Greeks, missing the bright young leader who 
always led them into the midst of the fray, were gradu- 
ally driven back by the Trojans, who pressed eagerly 
forward, and even began to set fire to some of the 
Greek ships. 

Achilles' friend, Patroclus, who was fighting at the 
head of the Greeks, now saw that the Trojans, unless 
they were checked, would soon destroy the whole army, 
and he rushed into Achilles' tent to beg him to come 
and help them once more. 

His entreaties were vain. Achilles refused to move a 
step ; but he consented at last to let Patroclus wear his 
armor, and, thus disguised, make a last attempt to rally 
the Greeks and drive back the Trojans. 

Patroclus started out, and, when the Trojans saw the 
well-known armor, they shrank back in terror, for they 
greatly feared Achilles. They soon saw their mistake, 

STO. OF GR. — 4 



50 

however; and Hector, rushing forward, killed Patroclus, 
tore the armor off his body, and retired to put it on in 
honor of his victory. 

Then a terrible struggle took place between the Trojans 
and the Greeks for the possession of Patroclus' body. 
The news of his friend's death had quickly been carried 
to Achilles, and had roused him from his indifferent 
state. Springing upon the wall that stretched before the 
camp, he gave a mighty shout, at the sound of which 
the Trojans fled, while Ajax and Ulysses brought back 
the body of Patroclus. 



:£#<o<^ 



XVII. DEATH OF HECTOR AND ACHILLES. 

THE next day, having secured armor and weapons, 
Achilles again went out to fight. His purpose was 
to meet Hector, and, by killing him, to avenge his dead 
friend, Patroclus. He therefore rushed up and down the 
battlefield ; and when at last he came face to face with 
his foe, they closed in deadly fight. The two young men, 
each the champion warrior of his army, were now fight- 
ing with the courage of despair ; for, while Achilles 
was thirsting to avenge his friend, Hector knew that the 
fate of Troy depended mostly upon his arm. The strug- 
gle was terrible. It was watched with breathless interest 
by the armies on both sides, and by aged Priam and 
the Trojan women from the walls of Troy. In spite of 
Hector's courage, in spite of all his skill, he was doomed 
to die, and soon he fell under the blows of Achilles. 



5i 

Then, in sight of both armies and of Hector's weeping 
family, Achilles took off his enemy's armor, bound the 
dead body by the feet to his chariot, and dragged it three 
times around the city walls before he went back to camp 
to mourn over the remains of Patroclus. 

That night, guided by one of the gods, old King Priam 
came secretly into the Greek camp, and, stealing into 
Achilles' tent, fell at his feet. He had come to beg 
Achilles to give back the body of Hector, that he might 
weep over it, and bury it with all the usual ceremonies 
and honors. 

Touched by the old man's tears, and ready now to 
listen to his better feelings, Achilles kindly raised the 
old king, comforted him with gentle words, and not only 
gave back the body, but also promised that there should 
be a truce of a few days, so that both armies could 
bury their dead in peace. 

The funerals were held, the bodies burned, the usual 
games celebrated ; and when the truce was over, the long 
war was begun again. After several other great fights, 
Achilles died from a wound in his heel caused by a 
poisoned arrow that was treacherously shot by Paris. 

The sorrowing Greeks then buried the young hero on 
the wide plain between Troy and the sea. This spot 
has been visited by many people who admired the brave 
young hero of the Il'i-ad (see p. 60). 




52 



XVIII. THE BURNING OF TROY. 

AS the valor of the Greeks had proved of no avail 
during the ten-years' war, and as they were still 
as far as ever from taking Troy, Ulysses the crafty 
now proposed to take the city by a stratagem, or trick. 

The Greeks, obeying his directions, built a wooden 
horse of very large size. It was hollow, and the space 
inside it was large enough to hold a number of armed 
men. When this horse was finished, and the men were 
hidden in it, the Greeks all embarked as if to sail 
home. 

The Trojans, who had watched them embark and sail 
out of sight, rushed down to the shore shouting for joy, 
and began to wander around the deserted camp. They 
soon found the huge wooden horse, and were staring 
wonderingly at it, when they were joined by a Greek 
who had purposely been left behind, and who now crept 
out of his hiding place. 

In answer to their questions, this man said that his 
companions had deserted him, and that the wooden horse 
had been built and left there as an offering to Po-sei'don 
(or Nep'tune), god of the sea. The Trojans, believing 
all this, now decided to keep the wooden horse in memory 
of their long siege, and the useless attempt of the Greeks 
to take Troy. 

They therefore joyfully dragged the huge animal into 
the city ; and, as the gates were not large enough for it 
to pass through, they tore down part of their strong 
walls. 



53 

That very night, while all the Trojans were sleeping 
peacefully for the first time in many years, without any 
fear of a midnight attack, the Greek vessels noiselessly 
sailed back to their old moorings. The soldiers landed 
in silence, and, marching up softly, joined their compan- 
ions, who had crept out of the wooden horse, and had 
opened all the gates to receive them. 

Pouring into Troy on all sides at once, the Greeks now 
began their work of destruction, killing, burning, and steal- 
ing everywhere. The Trojan warriors, awakening from 
sleep, vainly tried to defend themselves ; but all were 
killed except Prince ^E-ne'as, who escaped with his family 
and a few faithful friends, to form a new kingdom in 
Italy. 

All the women, including even the queen and her 
daughters, were made prisoners and carried away by the 
Greek heroes. The men were now very anxious to return 
home with the booty they had won ; for they had done 
what they had long wished to do, and Troy, the beautiful 
city, was burned to the ground. 

All this, as you know, happened many years ago, — so 
many that no one knows just how long. The city thus 
destroyed was never rebuilt. Some years ago a German 
traveler began to dig on the spot where it once stood. 
Deep down under the ground he found the remains of 
beautiful buildings, some pottery, household utensils, weap- 
ons, and a great deal of gold, silver, brass, and bronze. 
All these things were blackened or partly melted by fire, 
showing that the Greeks had set fire to the city, as their 
famous old poems relate. 

The Greeks said, however, that their gods were very 



54 




angry with many of their warriors on 
account of the cruelty they showed on 
that dreadful night, and that many of 
them had to suffer great hardships be- 
fore they reached home. Some were 
tossed about by the winds and 
waves for many long years, and 
suffered shipwrecks. Oth- 
ers reached home safely, 
only to be murdered by 
relatives who had 
taken possession of 
their thrones during 




Vase. 



their long absence. 

Only a few among 
these heroes escaped 
with their lives, and 
wandered off to other ~ 
countries to found 
new cities. Thus 
arose many Greek colonies in Sicily 
and southern Italy, which were called 
Great Greece, in honor of the country 
from which the first settlers had 
come. 

As you have already seen, Prince /Eneas was among 
these Trojans. After many exciting adventures, which 
you will be able to read in the " Story of Rome," he sailed 
up the Ti'ber River, and landed near the place where one 
of his descendants was to found the present capital of 
Italy, which is one of the most famous cities in the world. 




55 

^ which was 

XIX. HEROIC DEATH OF CODRL 

-ht the 

YOU remember, do you not, how the sons of Pei re- 
had driven the Heraclidae, or sons of Hercules, out 
of the peninsula which was called the Peloponnesus ? 
This same peninsula is now called Mo-re'a, or the mul- 
berry leaf, because it is shaped something like such a leaf, 
as you will see by looking at your map. 

The Heraclidae had not gone away willingly, but were 
staying in Thessaly, in the northern part of Greece, where 
they promised to remain one hundred years without mak- 
ing any attempt to come back. 

Shortly after the end of the Trojan War, this truce of 
a hundred years came to an end ; and the Heraclidae 
called upon their neighbors the Dorians to join them, 
and help them win back their former lands. 

Led by three brave chiefs, the allies passed through 
Greece proper, along the Isthmus of Corinth, and, spread- 
ing all over the Peloponnesus, soon took possession of 
the principal towns. The leading members of the family 
of Hercules took the title of kings, and ruled over the 
cities of Argos, Mycenae, and Spar'ta. 

The Dorians, who had helped the Heraclidae win back 
their former possessions, now saw that the land here was 
better than their home in the mountains, so they drove 
all the rest of the Ionians out of the country, and 
settled there also. 

Thus driven away by the Dorians and the Heraclidae, 
these Ionians went to Athens, to the neighboring islands, 
and even to the coast of Asia Minor, south of the ruined 



56 

,, where they settled in great numbers. They 

5 strip of land which they occupied Ionia, and 

^d many towns, some of which, such as Eph'e-sus 

^ Mi-le'tus, were destined to become famous. 

Of course, the Ionians were very angry at thus being 
driven away from home ; and those who had gone to 
live in Athens soon asked Co'drus, the Athenian king, 
to make war against the Heraclidae of Sparta. 

The two armies soon met, and prepared for battle. 
Codrus, having consulted an oracle, had learned that 
the victory would be given to the army whose king 
should be killed, so he nobly made up his mind to die 
for the good of his people. 

Instead of going into battle in royal dress, with his 
guards all around him, as was his habit, he dressed 
himself like an ordinary soldier, and went forward until 
he stood in the very first rank of the army. Then he 
rushed boldly into the midst of the foe. 

Of course, he was soon cut down; but the Athenians, 
seeing his courage, and learning why he had thus risked 
his life, fought with such valor that they defeated the 
Spar'tan forces, and forced them to retreat. 

The victory had been won; but the Athenians were 
so sorry to lose their beloved king, that they could 
not rejoice, and sadly returned home, carrying the 
body of Codrus. Such was the admiration of all the 
people for this act of royal courage, that they vowed 
they would never again call any one by the name of 
king. 

When Codrus had been buried, therefore, the Athe- 
nians gave his son and heir the government of the city, 






57 

calling him archon, or chief for life, — a title which was 
borne by many rulers after him. 

The Spartans, who had come into Attica to fight the 
Athenians, retreated hastily after their defeat, and re- 
turned to their city, where they settled, forcing all the 
people who dwelt in the neighborhood either to leave 
the country or to serve them as their slaves. 

The return of the Heraclidae into the Peloponnesus 
is the last event of the Heroic Age, and now real history 
begins. After this, it is no longer necessary to try to find 
out the truth hidden in the old tales which were handed 
down from father to son, and which were the only fairy 
stories the Greek children knew ; for henceforth records 
were kept of all the principal events. 

<X>»<CK> 



XX. THE BLIND POET. 

THREE or four centuries after the siege of Troy, 
there lived a poor old blind poet who wandered 
about from place to place, playing upon his lyre, and 
reciting wonderful verses which told about the adven- 
tures of the Greek heroes, and their great deeds during 
the Trojan War. 

We are told that this old man, whose name was 
Ho'mer, had not always been poor and blind, but that, 
having embarked by mistake upon a vessel manned by 
pirates, he not only had been robbed of all his wealth, 
and blinded, but had been left upon a lonely shore. 

By some happy chance, poor blind Homer found his 



58 



way to the inhabited parts of the country, where he 
soon won many friends. Instead of spending all his 
time in weeping over his troubles, Homer tried to think 
of some way in which he could earn his living, and at 
the same time give pleasure to others. He soon found 
such a way in telling the stories of the past to all who 
cared to listen to them. 

As the people in those days had no books, no schools, 
and no theaters, these stories seemed 
very wonderful. Little by lit- 
tle Homer turned them into 
verses so grand and beau- 
tiful that we admire 
them still ; and these 
he recited, accompany- 
F ing himself on a lyre, 
which he handled with 
much skill. As he wan- 
dered thus from place 
to place, old and young 
crowded around him to 
listen to his tales; and some 
young men were so struck 
by them that they followed 
him everywhere, until they too could repeat them. This 
was quite easy to do, because Homer had put them into 
the most beautiful and harmonious language the world has 
ever known. As soon as these young men had learned 
a few of the tales, they too began to travel from place 
to place, telling them to all they met; and thus Homer's 
verses became well known throughout all Greece. 




6o 



The Greeks who could recite Homer's poems went 
next to the islands and Asia Minor, stopping at every 
place where Greek was spoken, to tell about the wrath 
of Achilles, the death of Patroclus, Hector, or old 
Priam, the burning of Troy, the wanderings of Ulysses, 
and the return of the Greeks. Other youths learned 
the poems ; and so, although they were not written 
down for many a year, they were constantly recited 
and sung, and thus kept alive in the memory of the 
people. 

As for Homer, their author, we know but little about 
him. We are told that he lived to be very old, and that 
although he was poor as long as he lived, and forced to 
earn his living by reciting his songs, he was greatly 
honored after his death. 

His two great heroic poems — the Iliad, telling all 
about the Trojan War, and the Od'ys-sey, relating how 
Ulysses sailed about for ten years on his way home 
from Troy — were finally written down, and kept so care- 
fully that they can still be read to-day. Such was the 
admiration felt for these poems, that some years after 
Homer's death an attempt was made to find out more 
about him, and about the place where he was born. 

Fifty cities claimed the honor of giving him birth ; 
but, although it was never positively found out where 
he was born, most people thought the Island of Chi'os 
was his birthplace. The Greek towns, wishing to show 
how much they admired the works of Homer, used to 
send yearly gifts to this place, the native land of the 
grandest poet the world has ever known. 



6i 



XXI. THE RISE OF SPARTA. 

THE city of Sparta, founded in the days of the 
Pelasgians, and once ruled over by Menelaus and 
Helen, had fallen, as we have seen, into the hands of 
the Heraclidae when they came back to the Peloponne- 
sus after their exile of a hundred years. It was first 
governed by A-ris-to-de'mus, one of their three leaders; 
and, as records soon began to be kept, we know a great 
deal about the early history of this famous place. 

As the town had formerly belonged to the Heraclidae, 
and had been ruled by one of their ancestors, called 
Lac-e-dae'mon, they called it by his name, and the coun- 
try around it they named La-co'ni-a. Having won back 
the town by fighting, the Heraclidae said that they would 
attend to war and politics, and make the conquered 
people till the ground. 

The old inhabitants of Laconia, therefore, went on liv- 
ing in the country, where they sowed and harvested for 
the benefit of the Spartans. All the prisoners of war, 
however, became real slaves. They were obliged to serve 
the Spartans in every way, and were called He'lots. 

When Aristodemus died, his twin sons were both 
made kings ; and, as each of them left his throne to his 
descendants, Sparta had two kings, instead of one, from 
this time on. One member of the royal family, although 
he never bore the name of king, is the most noted man 
in Spartan history. This is Ly-cur'gus, the son of one 
ruler, the brother of another, and the guardian of an 
infant king named Char-i-la'us. 



62 



Lycurgus was a thoroughly good and upright man. 
We are told that the mother of the baby king once 
offered to put her child to death that Lycurgus might 
reign. Fearing for the babe's safety, Lycurgus made 
believe that he agreed to this plan, and asked that the 
child should be given to him to kill as he saw fit. 

Lycurgus, having thus obtained possession of the babe, 
carried him to the council hall. There the child was 
named king ; and Lycurgus promised that he would watch 
carefully over him, educate him well, and rule for him 
until he should be old and wise enough to reign alone. 

While he was thus acting as ruler, Lycurgus made 
use of his power to bring many new customs into Sparta, 
and to change the laws. As he was one of the wisest 
men who ever lived, he knew very well that men must 
be good if they would be happy. He also knew that 
health is far better than riches ; and, hoping to make the 
Spartans both good and healthy, he won them over little 
by little to obey a new set of laws, which he had made 
after visiting many of the neighboring countries, and 
learning all he could. 



-ooSQcJoo- 



XXII. THE SPARTAN TRAINING. 

THE laws which Lycurgus drew up for the Spartans 
were very strict. For instance, as soon as a babe 
came into the world, the law ordered that the father 
should wrap it up in a cloak, and carry it before a coun- 
cil made up of some of the oldest and wisest men. 



63 

They looked at the child carefully, and if it seemed 
strong and healthy, and was neither crippled nor in any 
way deformed, they said that it might live. Then they 
gave it back to the father, and bade him bring up the 
child for the honor of his country. 

If the babe was sickly or deformed, it was carried off 
to a mountain near by, and left alone ; so that it soon 
died of hunger or thirst, or was eaten up by the wild 
beasts. 

The Spartan children staid under their father's roof 
and in their mother's care until they were seven years 
old. While in the nursery, they were taught all the 
beautiful old Greek legends, and listened with delight to 
the stories of the ancient heroes, and especially to the 
poems of Homer telling about the war of Troy and 
the adventures of Ulysses. 

As soon as the children had reached seven years of 
age, they were given over to the care of the state, and 
allowed to visit their parents but seldom. The boys were 
put in charge of chosen men, who trained them to be- 
come strong and brave ; while the girls were placed under 
some good and wise woman, who not only taught them 
all they needed to know to keep house well, but also 
trained them to be as strong and fearless as their 
brothers. All Spartan boys were allowed but one rough 
woolen garment, which served as their sole covering by 
night and by day, and was of the same material in sum- 
mer as in winter. 

They were taught very little reading, writing, and arith- 
metic, but were carefully trained to recite the poems 
of Homer, the patriotic songs, and to accompany them- 



6 4 

selves skillfully on the lyre. They were also obliged to 
sing in the public chorus, and to dance gracefully at all 
the religious feasts. 

As the Spartans were very anxious that their boys 
should be strong and fearless, they were taught to stand 
pain and fatigue without a murmur ; and, to make sure 
that they could do so, their teachers made them go 
through a very severe training. 

Led by one of the older boys, the little lads were 
often sent out for long tramps over rough and stony 
roads, under the hot sun; and the best boy was the one 
who kept up longest, in spite of bleeding feet, burning 
thirst, and great fatigue. 

Spartan boys were allowed no beds to sleep in, lest 
they should become lazy and hard to please. Their 
only couch was a heap of rushes, which they picked on 
the banks of the Eu-ro'tas, a river near Sparta ; and in 
winter they were allowed to cover these with a layer of 
cat-tail down to make them softer and warmer. 



3^C 



XXIII. THE BRAVE SPARTAN BOY. 

AS greedy and disobedient children were viewed at 
Sparta with the contempt they deserved, all the 
boys were trained to obey at a word, whatever the order 
given, and were allowed only the plainest and scantiest 
food. 

Strange to relate, the Spartans also trained their boys 
to steal. They praised them when they succeeded in 



65 

doing so without being found out, and punished them 
only when caught in the act. The reason for this 
queer custom was this : the people were often engaged in 
war, and as they had no baggage wagons following their 
army, and no special officer to furnish food, they had 
to depend entirely upon the provisions they could get 
on their way. 

Whenever an army came in sight, the people hid not 
only their wealth, but also their food; and, had not the 
Spartan soldiers been trained to steal, they would often 
have suffered much from hunger when they were at war. 

To test the courage of the Spartan boys, their teachers 
never allowed them to have a light, and often sent them 
out alone in the middle of the night, on errands which 
they had to do as best they could. 

Then, too, once a year all the boys were brought to the 
Temple of Diana, where their courage was further tried 
by a severe flogging ; and those who stood this whipping 
without a tear or moan were duly praised. The little 
Spartan boys were so eager to be thought brave, that 
it is said that some let themselves be flogged to death 
rather than complain. 

The bravery of one of these boys was so wonderful 
that you will find it mentioned in nearly every Greek 
history you read. This little fellow had stolen a live 
fox, and hidden it in the bosom of his dress, on his 
way to school. 

The imprisoned fox, hoping to escape, began to gnaw 
a hole in the boy's chest, and to tear his flesh with his 
sharp claws ; but, in spite of the pain, the lad sat still, 
and let the fox bite him to death. 

STO. OF GR. — C 



66 



It was only when he fell lifeless to the floor that the 
teachers found the fox, and saw how cruelly he had 
torn the brave little boy to pieces. Ever since then, 
when boys stand pain bravely and without wincing, they 
have been called little Spartans, in memory of this lad. 

In order that the boys should be taught to behave 
well under all circumstances, they were never allowed to 
speak except when spoken to, and then their answers 
were expected to be as short and exact as possible. 

This style of speaking, where much was said in few 
words, was so usual in the whole country of Laconia, 
that it is still known as the laconic style. 

To train them in this mode of speech, the elders daily 
made the boys pass an oral examination, asking them 
any questions they could think of. The boys had to 
answer promptly, briefly, and carefully ; and if they 
failed to do so, it was considered a great disgrace. 

These daily questionings were meant to sharpen their 
wits, strengthen their memories, and teach them how to 
think and decide quickly and correctly. 

The Spartan youths were further taught to treat all 
their elders with the greatest respect ; and it must have 
been a pretty sight to see all these manly fellows respect- 
fully saluting all the old people they met, and even 
stopping their play to make way for them when they 
came on the street. 

To strengthen their muscles, the boys were also care- 
fully trained in gymnastics. They could handle weapons, 
throw heavy weights, wrestle, run with great speed, swim, 
jump, and ride, and were experts in all exercises which 
tended to make them strong, active, and well. 



6? 



XXIV. PUBLIC TABLES IN SPARTA. 

THE Spartan men prided themselves upon living almost 
as plainly as the boys, and, instead of eating their 
meals at home with the women and children, they had 
a common table. Each man gave a certain amount of 
flour, oil, wine, vegetables, and money, just enough to pro- 
vide for his share of food. 

Instead of having varied and delicate dishes, they 
always ate about the same things ; and their favorite 
food was a thick dark stew or soup, which they called 
black broth. Rich and poor were treated alike, sat side 
by side, and ate the same food, which was intended 
to make them equally strong and able to serve their 
country. 

The girls and women never came to these public tables ; 
but the boys were given a seat there as soon as they had 
learned their first and most important lesson, obedience. 

When the boys came into the public dining hall for the 
first time, the oldest man present called them to him, 
and, pointing to the door, solemnly warned them that 
nothing said inside the walls was ever to be repeated 
without. 

Then, while the boys took their places and ate without 
speaking a word, the old men talked freely of all they 
pleased, sure that Spartan lads would never be mean 
enough to repeat anything they said, and trusting to their 
honor. 

Although the Spartans had wine upon their table, they 
were a very temperate people, and drank only a very 



68 



little with each meal. To show the boys what a horrible 
thing drunkenness is, and the sure result of too much 
drinking, the old men sometimes gave them an object 
lesson. 

They sent for one of the meanest Helots or slaves, 
and purposely gave him plenty of wine. He was en- 
couraged to go on drinking until he sank on the floor 
in a drunken sleep. Then the old men would point him 
out to the boys, and explain to them that a man who 
has drunk too much is unworthy of the love or esteem 
of his fellow-creatures, and is in many ways worse than 
a beast. 

The Spartan boys, thus early warned of the evils of 
drinking, were careful to take but very little wine, and 
to keep their heads quite clear, so that they might always 
be considered men, and might never disgrace themselves 
as they had seen the Helots do. 

When the boys had passed through the first course of 
training, they in turn became the teachers and leaders 
of the smaller lads, and thus served their country until 
they were old enough to go to war. When they left for 
their first campaign, all the people came out to see them 
off, and each mother gave her son his shield, saying, — 

" Come back with it or on it." 

By this she meant " Come home honorably, bearing your 
shield, thus showing that you have never thrown it away 
to save yourself by flight ; or die so bravely that your 
companions will bring back your body resting on your 
shield, to give you a glorious burial." 



6 9 



XXV. LAWS OF LYCURGUS. 



THE Spartan girls, who were brought up by the women, 
were, like the boys, taught to wrestle, run, and swim, 
and to take part in gym- 
nastics of all kinds, until 
they too became very 
strong and supple, and 
could stand almost any 
fatigue. 

They were also taught 
to read, write, count, sing, 
play, and dance ; to spin, 
weave, and dye ; and to 
do all kinds of woman's 
work. In short, they 
were expected to be 
strong, intelligent, and 
capable, so that when 
they married they might 
help their husbands, and 
bring up their children 
sensibly. At some pub- 
lic festivals the girls 
strove with one another in ' 
various games, which were 
witnessed only by their fathers 
and mothers and the other 

married people of the city. The winners in these contests 
were given beautiful prizes, which were much coveted. 




A Dancing Girl. 



70 

Lycurgus hoped to make the Spartans a strong and 
good people. To hinder the kings from doing anything 
wroag, he had the people choose five men, called ephors, 
to watch over and to advise them. 

Then, knowing that great wealth is not desirable, 
Lycurgus said that the Spartans should use only iron 
money. All the Spartan coins were therefore bars of iron, 
so heavy that a yoke of oxen and a strong cart were 
needed to carry a sum equal to one hundred dollars 
from one spot to another. Money was so bulky that it 
could neither be hidden nor stolen ; and no one cared 
to make a fortune, since it required a large space to 
stow away even a small sum. 

When Charilaus, the infant king, had grown up, Lycur- 
gus prepared to go away. Before he left the town, he 
called all the citizens together, reminded them of all he 
had done to make them a great people, and ended by 
asking every man present to swear to obey the laws 
until he came back. 

The Spartans were very grateful for all he had done 
for them, so they gladly took this oath, and Lycurgus left 
the place. Some time after, he came back to Greece ; but, 
hearing that the Spartans were thriving under the rules 
he had laid down, he made up his mind never to visit 
Sparta again. 

It was thus that the Spartans found themselves bound 
by solemn oath to obey Lycurgus' laws forever ; and as 
long as they remembered this promise, they were a 
thriving and happy people. 



7i 



XXVI. THE MESSENIAN WAR. 

NOT very far from Sparta, and next to Laconia, was 
a country called Mes-se'ni-a, which was much 
more fertile, and had long been occupied by a kindred 
race descended from Le'lex, brother of Lacedaemon. 

When the Spartans found out that the Mes-se'ni-an 
fields were more fruitful than their own, they longed to 
have them, and anxiously watched for some excuse to 
make war against the Messenians and win their land. 
It was not long before they found one. 

There was a temple on the boundary of Messenia 
and Laconia, where the people of both countries used 
to assemble on certain days to offer up sacrifices to 
the gods. The Messenian lads, seeing the beauty of the 
Spartan girls, and longing to have such strong, handsome, 
and intelligent wives, once carried off a few of them into 
their own country, and refused to give them up again. 
The Spartans, indignant at this conduct, flew to arms, 
and one night, led by their king, attacked the Messenian 
town of Am-phe'a. 

As no one expected them, they soon became masters 
of the place, and in their anger killed all the inhabitants. 
The other Messenians, hearing of this cruel deed, quickly 
made ready to fight, and bravely began the struggle which 
is known as the First Messenian War. 

Although very brave, the Messenians had not been 
as well trained as the Spartans, and could not drive 
them back. On the contrary, they were themselves driven 
from place to place, until they were forced to take refuge 



72 

in the fortified city of I-tho'me. Here they were shut 
in with their king, Aristodemus, who was a proud and 
brave man. 

Ithome was built high up on a rock, so steep that the 
Spartan soldiers could not climb it, and so high that they 
could not even shoot their arrows into the town. 

The Messenians, hoping to keep this place of refuge, 
kept a sharp lookout, and, whenever the Spartans made 
any attempt to climb the rocks, they rolled great blocks 
of stone down upon them. 

All went well as long as the food lasted, but the time 
came when the Messenians in Ithome had nothing to eat. 
Some of their bravest men tried to go down into the 
valley in search of provisions ; but, as they were attacked 
by the Spartans, they could not bring the hungry people 
much to eat. 

When Aristodemus saw that the people would all die 
of hunger unless some way were found to get food, he 
consulted an oracle, in order to find out what it was best 
for him to do. The oracle answered that a battle should 
be fought, and promised the victory to the king who 
offered his daughter in sacrifice to the gods. 

When Aristodemus heard this answer, he shuddered 
with fear ; for, although he knew that his ancestors had 
offered up human victims on their altars, he loved his 
only daughter too well to give her up. 

For some time longer, therefore, he resisted every attack, 
and tried to think of some other way to save his people. 
At last, however, seeing that they would all die unless 
something were done, he sacrificed the child he loved so 
well 



73 

The Messenians were touched by his generosity, and by 
his readiness to do all in his power to save them. They 
felt sure that the gods would now give them the victory, 
and rushed out of the town and into the Spartan camp. 
Their attack was so sudden, and they fought with such 
fury, that they soon killed three hundred Spartans and 
one of their kings. 

This battle did not, as they had hoped, end the war, 
which went on for several years. At last Aristodemus, 
despairing of victory, went to his beloved daughter's tomb, 
and there killed himself. 

When he was dead, the city of Ithome fell into the hands 
of the Spartans. They treated the conquered Messenians 
with great cruelty, made them all slaves, and were as 
unkind to them as they had been to the Helots. 



-o-O^jcJoo- 



XXVII. THE MUSIC OF TYRT^US. 

AFTER suffering great tortures under the Spartan 
yoke for forty long years, the Messenians began 
to plan a revolt. 

One of their princes, Ar-is-tom'e-nes, a man of unusual 
bravery, made up his mind to free the unhappy people, 
and to ruin the proud city of Sparta, which had caused 
them so much suffering. 

He therefore secretly assembled all the Messenians, 
and, when his plans were ready, began to war openly 
against the Spartans, whom he defeated in several battles. 

With his small army, he even pressed forward toward 



74 

the city of Sparta, and camped within sight of its dwell- 
ings. The Spartan women could thus see a very unusual 
sight, — the light of the enemies' fires. 

To frighten the Spartans still more, Aristomenes went 
secretly into the city one dark night, stole into the prin- 
cipal temple, and there hung up the arms he had taken 
during the war. 

These weapons were arranged so as to form what the 
Greeks called a trophy, and right under them Aristom- 
enes boldly wrote his name in letters so large that all 
could see it. 

When morning dawned, and the Spartans came as 
usual into the temple to offer up their morning prayer 
and sacrifice, they were astonished and dismayed at the 
sight of this trophy. Aristomenes' bravery was so great 
that they despaired of conquering him without divine aid, 
and so they sent to ask an oracle what they should do. 

The oracle answered that the Spartans would be vic- 
torious if they marched to war under the command of 
an Athenian general. Now, the Spartans were a proud 
people, and did not like to ask aid of any one ; but 
they made up their minds to obey this command, and 
so sent a messenger to Athens to ask for a good leader. 

Whether the Athenians, who were well known for their 
love of joking, wished to make fun of the Spartans, or 
whether they wanted to show them that the bodily beauty 
and strength which the Spartans prized so highly was 
not everything, no one now knows. The fact is, how- 
ever, that the Athenians sent the Spartans a poor, lame 
schoolmaster, called Tyr-tae'us, to lead them in battle. 
This man had never handled a weapon in his life, and 



75 

the Spartans were very angry when he placed himself 
at their head with a lyre instead of a sword ; but when 
he suddenly began to sing one of those war songs which 
make one's blood tingle, it roused their patriotism to such 
a point that all were ready to conquer or die, and their 
scorn was soon changed to deep admiration. 

Fired by these patriotic songs, and by the stirring 
music the lame schoolmaster played, the Spartans fought 
better than ever before, overcame the Messenians, and 
came home in triumph with their prisoners, among whom 
was the brave Aristomenes. 

As it was then usual to put all prisoners of war to 
death, the Spartans threw all the Messenians down into 
a horrible pit called the Ce'a-das. This was a dark 
hole of great depth, and its sides were all covered with 
jagged rocks, against which the prisoners were dashed to 
pieces long before they reached the bottom. 

The Messenians were cast into this place one after 
another, Aristomenes being thrown in last of all, so that 
he might have the sorrow of seeing his companions die. 
Of course, this was very cruel, but the Spartans had 
been brought up to think this mode of getting rid of 
their enemies quite right ; and when they had thus killed 
them, they cheerfully went back to the city and cele- 
brated their victory. 




7 6 



XXVIII. ARISTOMENES' ESCAPE. 

ALTHOUGH the Spartans thought that Aristomenes 
was dead, they were greatly mistaken. By some 
miracle he had not struck against any of the sharp, 
jagged rocks, but, falling upon the heap of his dead 
companions, had reached the bottom of the Ceadas 
unhurt. 

There was apparently no way out of this pit except 
by the opening at the top, through which a bit of sky 
could be seen; and Aristomenes soon found that the 
sides were so steep that it was impossible to reach the 
opening. He therefore went off to one side, away from 
the heap of dead, and sat down on a stone in that cold, 
damp, and dark place. There he drew his cloak over 
his head to wait patiently until he should starve to death. 
Three days had thus been spent in this place, and his 
strength was already fast failing, when he suddenly felt 
a warm breath on his hand. 

He softly drew aside his cloak, and, now that his 
eyes were used to the darkness, he dimly saw a fox 
prowling around him, and sniffing his clothes suspiciously. 

Gently wrapping his cloak around his hand to pro- 
tect it from the fox's sharp teeth, Aristomenes caught 
the animal firmly by the tail. Then, in spite of all its 
efforts to get away, he held it tight ; and when it started 
off, he followed its lead. 

As he had shrewdly suspected, the fox knew a way 
out of the horrible place. All at once it slipped into 
a hole ; and Aristomenes, seeing a little light at the end 



77 

of this, let the fox go. With the help of a sharp 
stone, he soon made the fox's hole big enough to crawl 
through, and quickly made his way back to the Mes- 
senians. 

You can imagine how happy they were to see the 
beloved chief whom they thought dead, and how tenderly 
they cared for him until he was well and strong again. 
They never tired of hearing the story of his fall, im- 
prisonment, and escape ; and when he proposed to lead 
them once more against the Spartans, they gladly prom- 
ised to help him. 

In spite of all Aristomenes' courage, however, Mes- 
senia finally fell into the hands of the Spartans, and the 
Second Messenian War came to an end. All the people 
who wished to escape slavery or death left their native 
country, and went to Italy or Sicily, where they founded 
Greek colonies. 

The cities that they built soon became very powerful, 
and one of them they named Mes-si'na in honor of 
their native land. This city still stands, as you will see 
by looking at your maps ; and near it is the strait of 
the same name, which separates Sicily from Italy. 

OO^OO 



XXIX. THE OLYMPIC GAMES. 

NORTHWEST of Sparta, in the country called E'lis 
and in the city of O-lym'pi-a, rose a beautiful temple 
for the worship of Ju'pi-ter (or Zeus), the principal god 
of the Greeks. This temple was said to have been built 



78 



by Hercules, the great hero from whom, as you remem- 
ber, all the Heraclidae claimed to be descended. 

According to the legends, Hercules was a son of the 
god Jupiter, and had ordered that a great festival should 
be held here every four years in honor of his divine 
father. 




The Temple at Olympia. 



For the purpose of attracting all the neighboring peo- 
ple to the temple at Olympia, Hercules founded many 
athletic games, such as wrestling, stone and spear throw- 
ing, foot, horse, and chariot races, boxing, swimming, and 
the like. 

Hercules himself was present at the first of these 
festivals, and acted as umpire of the games, rewarding 



79 

the victors by giving them crowns of wild olive leaves. 
This custom had been kept up ever since, and the Greek 
youths considered this simple crown the finest prize 
which could be given. 

As the Spartans were great athletes, they soon took 
important parts in the Olympic games, won most of 
the prizes, and claimed the honor of defending the 
temple at Olympia in all times of danger. 

All the people who went to Olympia to witness the 
games laid some precious offering before the shrines, so 
that the temple came to be noted for its beauty and 
wealth. Painters and sculptors, too, further adorned it 
with samples of their skill, and it soon contained numer- 
ous gems of art. 

The most precious of all was a statue representing 
Jupiter, which was the work of the renowned sculptor 
Phid'i-as. This statue was more than forty feet high ; 
and, while the god himself was carved out of pure 
white ivory, his hair, beard, and garments were made 
of gold, and his eyes of the brightest jewels. 

The temple and grove were further adorned with a 
great many statues representing the other gods and all 
the prize winners, for it was customary to place a life- 
sized statue of each of them in this beautiful place. 

During the celebration of the Olympic games many 
sacrifices were offered up to the gods, and there were 
many religious processions in their honor. Poets and 
artists, as well as athletes, were in the habit of has- 
tening thither on every occasion ; for there were contests 
in poetry and song, and the people were anxious to hear 
and see all the new works. 



8o 



Between the games, therefore, the poets recited their 
poems, the musicians sang their songs, the historians read 
their histories, and the story-tellers told their choicest 
tales, to amuse the vast crowd which had come there from 
all parts of Greece, and even from the shores of Italy 
and Asia Minor. 

As the games were held every four years, the people 
eagerly looked forward to their coming, and soon began 
to reckon time by them. It was therefore usual to say 
that such and such a thing happened in the first, second, 
or third year of the fifth, tenth, or seventieth O-lym'pi-ad, 
as the case might be. 

Soon even the historians began to use this way of 
dating important events ; and by counting four years 
for each Olympiad, as the time between the games was 
called, we can find out exactly when the chief events in 
Greek history took place. 

Although the Olympic games were probably held many 
times before this system of counting was begun, and before 
any good record was kept, we can trace them back to 
774 B.C. 

For one thousand years after that, the name of each 
victor was carefully written down ; and it was only about 
three centuries after Christ that the Olympic records 
ceased. Then the games came to an end, to the sorrow 
of all the Greeks. 

Several attempts have since been made to revive these 
games ; but all proved fruitless until the Greek king 
arranged to renew them in 1896. In that year a great 
festival was held, not at Olympia, but in the city of 
Athens. 



8i 



Besides some of the old-fashioned Greek games, there 
were bicycle and hurdle races, shooting matches, and 
contests in jumping. People from all parts of the world 
went to see them in as large numbers as they went to 
Olympia in the olden times. 

The victors in the games, who belonged to many dif- 
ferent nations, received medals, and wreaths of wild olive 
and laurel leaves ; but the people did not wear crowns of 
flowers as formerly, nor offer sacrifices to the old gods, 
for Greece is now a Christian country. 



-oo^Kc 



XXX. MILO OF CROTON. 

AMONG the athletes whose statues were to be seen 
at Olympia was Mi'lo, a man of Cro'ton, one of the 
Greek colonies in Italy. This man was remarkable for 
his great strength, and could carry very heavy weights. 
In order to develop his muscle and become strong, he 
had trained himself from a boy, and had practiced carry- 
ing burdens until he could lift more than any other man 
of his time. 

We are told that he was so earnest in his efforts to 
become strong, that he daily carried a pet calf, gradu- 
ally increasing the distance. As the calf grew larger, 
Milo became stronger, and his muscles became so pow- 
erful that he could carry the animal with ease when it 
became a full-sized ox. 

To please his companions and show them what he 
could do, Milo once carried an ox for several miles, and 

STO. OF GR. — 6 



82 

then, feeling hungry, killed it with one blow of his fist, 
cooked it, and ate it all at a single meal. On another 
occasion, Milo was sitting with several companions in a 
rather tumble-down house. All at once he noticed that 
the roof was falling in. He stretched up his great arms, 
spread out his hands, and held the roof up until all his 
companions had run out of the house. 

Milo's hands were so strong that when he seized a 
chariot, even with one hand only, four horses could not 
make it stir until he let it go. Of course, Milo was 
very proud of his great strength, which, however, proved 
unlucky for him, and caused his death. 

One day when he was very old, Milo wandered out 
alone into a forest where some woodcutters had been at 
work. The men had gone away, leaving their wedges in 
an unusually large tree trunk. 

Milo, remembering his former strength, gazed for a 
moment at the tree, and then, feeling sure that he could 
easily pull it apart, he slipped his fingers into the crack. 
At his first effort the tree parted a little, and the wedges 
fell out ; but the two halves, instead of splitting apart, 
suddenly came together again, and Milo found his hands 
held fast. 

In vain he struggled, in vain he called. He could 
neither wrench himself free nor attract any one's atten- 
tion. Night came on, and soon the wild beasts of the 
forest began to creep out of their dens. 

They found the captive athlete, and, springing upon 
him, tore him to pieces, for he could not defend himself, 
in spite of all his boasted strength. 



83 



XXXI. THE JEALOUS ATHLETE. 

NEAR the statue of Milo of Croton stood that of 
The-ag'e-nes, another noted athlete, who lived many 
years after Milo. He too had defeated every rival. He 
was the winner of many prizes, and all envied him his 
strength and renown. 

One of the men in particular, whom he had defeated 
in the games, was jealous of him, and of the honors 
which he had won. This man, instead of trying to over- 
come these wicked feelings, used to steal daily into the 
temple to view his rival's statue, and mutter threats and 
curses against it. 

In his anger, he also gave the pedestal an angry shake 
every night, hoping that some harm would befall the 
statue. One evening, when this jealous man had jostled 
the image of Theagenes a little more roughly than usual, 
the heavy marble toppled and fell, crushing him to death 
beneath its weight. 

When the priests came into the temple the next day, 
and found the man's dead body under the great statue, 
they were very much surprised. The judges assembled, 
as was the custom when a crime of any kind had been 
committed, to decide what had caused his death. 

As it was usual in Greece to hold judgment over life- 
less as well as over living things, the statue of Theagenes 
was brought into court, and accused and found guilty of 
murder. 

The judges then said, that, as the statue had com- 
mitted a crime, it deserved to be punished, and so they 



8 4 

condemned it to be cast into the sea and drowned. This 
sentence had scarcely been executed, when a plague 
broke out in Greece ; and when the frightened people 
consulted an oracle to find out how it could be checked, 
they learned that it would not cease until the statue of 
Theagenes had been set up on its pedestal again. The 
superstitious Greeks believed these words, fished the 
statue up out of the sea, and placed it again in Olympia. 
As the plague stopped shortly after this, they all felt 
sure that it was because they had obeyed the oracle, 
and they ever after looked upon the statue with great 
awe. 



-oo^cx^ 



XXXII. THE GIRLS' GAMES. 

ALTHOUGH the women and girls were not often 
allowed to appear in public, or to witness certain 
of the Olympic games, there were special days held 
sacred to them, when the girls also strove for prizes. 

They too ran races; and it must have been a pretty 
sight to see all those healthy, happy girls running around 
the stadium, as the foot-race course was called. 

One of these races was called the torch race, for each 
runner carried a lighted torch in her hand. All were 
allowed to try to put out each other's light ; and the prize 
was given to the maiden who first reached the goal with 
her torch aflame, or to the one who kept hers burning 
longest. 

The prize for the girls was the same as that given to 
the boys ; but the boys took part in more games, and 



86 



were present in greater numbers, than the girls, and 
their victories were praised much more than those of 
their sisters. 

The crowd of people watching the games often grew 
so excited that they carried the victor all around the 
grounds on their shoulders, while Olympia fairly re- 
echoed with their cries of joy. 

We are also told that one old man called Chi'lo was 
so happy when his son laid at his feet the crowns he 
had just won, that he actually died of joy, thus turning 
his son's happiness into bitter grief. 

While all the foot races took place in the stadium, the 
horse and chariot races were held in the hippodrome, and 
excited the greatest interest. There were two-, four-, and 
eight-horse races ; and, as the horses were sometimes 
unruly, the chariots were liable to be overturned. Thus 
at times a number of horses would fall in a heap, and 
lie struggling and kicking in the dust, which added to 
the general excitement. 



>X*o<^ 



XXXIII. THE BLOODY LAWS OF DRACO. 

YOU have already learned that Athens was one of 
the greatest cities of ancient Greece, and that after 
the heroic self-sacrifice of Codrus the inhabitants would 
not allow any one to bear the name of king. 

The sons of Codrus were named archons, or rulers for 
life, — an office which was at first handed down from 
father to son, but which soon became elective ; that is 



87 

to say, all the people voted for and elected their own 
rulers. Then nine archons were chosen at once, but 
they kept their office for only one year. 

As these men received no pay for serving the state, 
only the richest citizens could accept the office ; and 
thus Athens, from a monarchy, or country ruled by a 
king, became an oligarchy, or state ruled by the rich 
and noble citizens. 

As the rich thus held the reins of the government, 
they often used their power to oppress the poor, and 
this gave rise to many quarrels. Little by little the two 
parties, the rich and the poor, grew to hate each other 
so much that it was decided that a new code or set of 
laws should be made, and that they should be obeyed 
by all alike. 

A severe archon called Dra'co was chosen to draw up 
these new laws (602 B.C.); and he made them so strict 
and cruel that the least sin was punished as if it had 
been a crime, and a man was sentenced to be hanged 
for stealing even a cabbage. 

When the Athenians heard these new laws, they were 
frightened. Such severity had never been known before ; 
and one and all said that the laws had been written in 
blood instead of ink. Some of the citizens, hoping to 
make Draco change them, asked why he had named 
such a terrible punishment for so small a crime as the 
theft of a cabbage. Draco sternly replied that a person 
who stole even the smallest thing was dishonest, and 
deserved death ; and that, as he knew of no severer 
punishment, he could not inflict one for the greater 
crimes. 



88 



The Athenians had all promised to obey Draco's 
laws, so they were obliged to submit for a short time. 
Then, driven wild by their strictness, rich and poor rose 
up, drove the unhappy lawmaker out of the city, and 
forced him to go to the neighboring Island of y£-gi r na. 
Here Draco spent all the rest of his life. 

The people were now in a state of great uncertainty. 
The laws of Draco were too severe, but they had no 
others to govern the city. While they were hesitating, 
not knowing what to do, Cy'lon, an Athenian citizen, 
tried to make himself king. 

His first move was to gather together a few of his 
friends, and go secretly to the Acropolis, or fortress of 
Athens, which he took by surprise. Now that he was 
master of the fortress, he tried to force the Athenians 
to recognize him as their king, but this they stoutly 
refused to do. 

Instead of yielding, the Athenians armed themselves, 
met the rebels in a bloody battle, and killed Cylon him- 
self in the midst of the fight. 

As their leader was now dead, and they feared the 
anger of their fellow-citizens, Cylon's friends fled in haste 
to the temple of the goddess Athene. Once inside the 
sacred building, they felt quite safe ; for no person could 
be killed in a temple, or be taken out of it by force. 

Although they had neither food nor drink, the rebels 
refused to leave the temple, until the archon Meg'a-cles, 
fearing that they would die there, and thus defile the 
temple, promised to do them no harm if they would 
only come out. 

The rebels did not quite trust to this promise, so they 



89 

came out of the temple holding a small cord, one end 
of which was fastened to the statue of the goddess. 
They were thus still under her protection, and any one 
touching them would be guilty of a great crime. 

When the men reached the street at the bottom of 
the hill where the temple stood, the cord to which they 
were all clinging suddenly broke. Megacles, the first to 
notice this, said that the goddess refused to protect the 
rebels any longer, and gave orders to kill the unhappy 
men. 



-ooJ^OO- 



XXXIV. THE LAWS OF SOLON. 

SHORTLY after the death of Cylon and the murder 
of his followers, a great many troubles came upon 
the city of Athens. The people were frightened, and 
soon the friends of Cylon began to whisper that the 
gods were surely punishing the Athenians, and espe- 
cially Megacles, for breaking his promise. 

This report spread throughout the city. The terrified 
people assembled, and voted to exile Megacles and all 
his family, the Alc-mae-on'i-dae. Such was the fury of the 
Athenians against the archon whose crime had brought 
misfortunes upon them, that they even dug up the 
bones of his ancestors, and had them carried beyond 
the boundary of Attica. 

The city had been defiled by the crime which Mega- 
cles had committed, and the people felt that they would 
never be prosperous again until Athens had been purified ; 



90 

but the great question was to find a man holy enough to 
perform the ceremony. 

After much talking, they decided to send for Ep-i- 
men'i-des, and to ask him to purify the city. This man, 
when a mere lad, once went into a cave near his native 
town, and there laid himself down to sleep. Instead of 
taking an ordinary nap, however, he slept fifty-eight 
years, without awakening or undergoing any change. 
When he came out of the cave, where he fancied he 
had spent only a few hours, he was surprised to find 
everything new and strange to him. 

His relatives had all died, no one knew him, and it 
was only after some time had passed that he found out 
that he had slept fifty-eight years at a stretch. This 
man was a poet of note, and, as he had enjoyed so 
long a sleep, the people thought that he was a favorite 
of the gods. 

When the Athenians asked him to purify the town, he 
came to do so ; but when the ceremonies were ended, he 
refused to accept any of the rich gifts which the people 
offered him as reward. Instead, he humbly begged 
them to give him a twig of the sacred olive tree which 
they said Athene herself had planted on the Acropolis. 

Their troubles having now ceased, the Athenians began 
to think of making another and less severe code of 
laws. This time they chose as lawmaker a wise man 
called So'lon, a descendant of the noble Codrus ; and he 
soon consented to tell them what to do. 

Solon was a studious and thoughtful man, and had 
acquired much of his wisdom by traveling, and by learn- 
ing all he could from the people he visited. He knew 



9i 

so much that he was called a sage, and he loved to 
meet and talk with wise people. 

Solon changed many of Draco's severe laws, arranged 
that the farmers and poor people should no longer be 
treated badly by the rich, and even took care of the 
slaves. He also gave the Athenians a court of law called 
A-re-op'a-gus. Here there were jurymen to judge all 
criminals; and here, for the first time, an accused person 
was allowed to speak in his own defense. 

When a man was accused of any wrongdoing, he 
was brought before this jury, who sat under the open 
sky at night. No light was^ provided, and the whole trial 
was carried on in the dark, so that the jury should not 
be influenced by the good or bad looks of the prisoner, 
but should judge merely from what was proved about 
him. 

If the accused person was found guilty, he was also 
sentenced and executed in the dark, so that the bright 
sun god, riding across the sky in his golden chariot, 
should not be offended by the sad sight of a man dying 
for his misdeeds. 

Every citizen of Athens, whether rich or poor, was 
allowed to vote ; and as a salary was now paid to the 
men who helped govern the city, even a man of small 
means, if elected to the Tribunal, could afford to give 
his time to public duties. 

By Solon's order the people were encouraged to talk 
matters over in public in the market place ; and, as the 
Athenians were fond of making speeches, many of them 
became very eloquent. 

Solon saw that his reforms were likely to work all 



92 



the better if they were fairly tried, and if he were not 

there to see how the people did. He therefore made 

the Athenians promise to obey his laws for ten years, 
and again set out on his travels. 



-°-o»<oo- 



XXXV. THE FIRST PLAYS. 

IN the days of Solon, men were often to be seen wan- 
dering around the streets during the festival of Di-o- 
ny'sus, god of wine. They were clad in goatskins, were 










ni 



*yp* 







Theater of Dionysus. 

smeared with the dregs of wine, and danced and sang 
rude songs in honor of their god. 



93 

These songs were called tragedies, which in Greek 
means "goat songs," because the goat was sacred to 
the god whom they thus worshiped. The people were 
greatly amused by the rude songs and dances of these 
worshipers of Dionysus, and crowds gathered about them 
to listen to their singing and to watch their antics. 

Thes'pis, a Greek of great intelligence, noticed how 
popular these amusements were, and to please the 
public taste he set up the first rude theater. In the 
beginning it was only a few boards raised on trestles to 
form a sort of stage in the open air ; but Thespis soon 
built a booth, so that the actors, when not on the stage, 
could be hidden from public view. 

The first plays, as already stated, were very simple, 
and consisted of popular songs rudely acted. Little by 
little, however, the plays became more and more elabo- 
rate, and the actors tried to represent some of the tales 
which the story-tellers had told. 

Some people did not approve of this kind of amuse- 
ment ; and among them was Solon, who said that Thespis 
was teaching the Athenians to love a lie, because they 
liked the plays, which, of course, were not true. 

In spite of Solon's displeasure, the actors went on 
playing, and soon the best poets began to write works 
for the stage. The actors became more and more skill- 
ful, and had many spectators, although no women were 
allowed on the stage, their parts being taken by men. 

Finally, to make room for the ever-increasing number 
of theater goers, a huge amphitheater was built. It was 
so large, we are told, that there were seats for thirty 
thousand spectators. These seats were in semicircular 



94 



rows or tiers, of which there were one hundred, rising 
one above another. The lowest row of all, near the 

orchestra, was composed of sixty 
huge marble chairs. The am- 
phitheater was open to the 
sky, the stage alone being 
covered with a roof ; and all 
the plays were given by day- 
light. The ruins of this build- 
ing, which is known as the 
Theater of Dionysus, were 
dug out in 1862, and are now 
often visited by people who 
go to Athens. 

The Greek actors soon 
dressed in costume, and all 
wore masks expressing the 
various emotions they wished 
to represent. The principal 
parts of the play were re- 
cited ; but from time to time 
singers came on the stage, 
and chanted parts of the play 
in chorus. 

Some of these plays were 
so sad that the whole audience was melted to tears ; 
others were so funny that the people shouted with laugh- 
ter. When you learn Greek, you will be able to read 
the grand tragedies which were written by ^Es^chy-lus, 
Soph'o-cles, and Eu-rip'i-des, and the comedies or funny 
plays of Ar-is-toph'a-nes. 




Sophocles. 



95 



XXXVI. THE TYRANT PISISTRATUS. 

NOT very long after Solon had given the new laws 
to the Athenians, the two political parties of the 
city again began to quarrel. One of these parties was 
composed wholly of rich men and nobles, or aristoi, from 
which Greek word is formed our English word " aristo- 
crat ; " the other party included the farmers and poor 
people, or demos, the Greek term which has given rise 
to the word " democrat." 

Among the aristocrats, or nobles, there was a nephew 
of Solon called Pi-sis'tra-tus. He was very rich ; but, 
instead of upholding his own party, he seemed to scorn 
the rich, and always sided with the poor. To make 
friends with the democrats, he pretended to obey the 
laws with the greatest care, and addressed every man 
with the utmost politeness. 

Once, having killed a man by accident, Pisistratus 
came of his own free will before the judges of the Areop- 
agus, confessed his crime, and was so humble that he 
quite disarmed the anger of the people. 

As soon as he felt quite sure that he had won many 
friends among the poor, Pisistratus appeared one day in 
the market place, covered with blood, which flowed from 
slight wounds which he had made upon his own body. 

His polite manners and kindly words had been only 
a pretense, however ; and he was not only a hypocrite, 
but also a liar. So he now said that the aristocrats had 
tried to kill him because he was the friend of the people. 

In proof of these words, he pointed to his wounds. 



9 6 

The poorer Athenians, who believed him, were very in- 
dignant, and began to talk angrily about the wicked 
nobles, who had hurt Pisistratus only because he was 
ready to help them. 

When Pisistratus cried out that his life was no longer 
safe, all the democrats exclaimed that they would protect 
him ; and, as they had the right of voting, they then and 
there said that he should have a bodyguard of fifty 
armed men to protect him. 

Pisistratus pretended to be very grateful for this favor, 
and, under pretext of choosing his bodyguard, engaged a 
great number of soldiers. When his plans were all ready, 
he took possession of the Acropolis by force. 

The people now found out, but too late, that risistratus 
had deceived them only to get more power; and that, 
thanks to the guard they had voted him, he had become 
master of the town, and held the reins of the govern- 
ment. 

The Athenians did not long remain angry with their 
former favorite, however; for he did all he could to 
make them happy, and ruled them very wisely. He 
improved the city by building magnificent temples and 
other public buildings, and made a great aqueduct, so 
that the people could have plenty of pure water to 
drink. 

Pisistratus also laid out a public park, the Ly-ce'um, 
just outside the city walls, so that the Athenians could 
go there, and enjoy the cool shade of the groves he had 
planted. 

Then he began to collect all the poems of Homer, 
had them carefully written down, and placed them in a 



97 

public library, so that the Greeks could read them when- 
ever they pleased. Until then these poems had only 
been recited, and no written copy existed. Pisistratus, 
therefore, did a very good work in thus keeping for our 
enjoyment the greatest epic poems ever composed. 

As Pisistratus ruled just as he pleased, without con- 
sulting the Tribunal or people, he has been called a 
tyrant. This word in those days meant "supreme ruler;" 
but as many of those who followed him made a bad use 
of their power, and were cruel and grasping, its meaning 
soon changed, and the word now means " a selfish and 
unkind ruler." 

ooXKcxj 



XXXVII. THE TYRANT'S INSULT. 

WHILE Pisistratus was thus governing Athens to 
suit himself, Solon was traveling in Asia, where 
he met several interesting persons of whom you will hear 
in ancient history. 

Solon had gone away for ten years, hoping that the 
Athenians would strictly obey his laws. During that 
time he had no news of his native land ; for there were 
no post offices or newspapers in those days, and peo- 
ple neither wrote nor received letters except when some- 
thing very important happened. 

On coming back to Athens, Solon was very sorry 

to learn that it was Pisistratus, his own kinsman, who 

had taken the power of the archons ; but when he saw 

how wisely Pisistratus governed the people, and how 

sto. of gr. — 7 



9 8 

careful he was to make them happy and improve them, 
he freely forgave him, and remained on good terms with 
him until he died. 

Pisistratus went on ruling the Athenians for thirty- 
three years, and when he died they mourned him greatly. 
In their grief for their loss, they allowed his sons, Hip'- 
pi-as and Hip-par'chus, to succeed him, without raising 
any objections. 

These young men were very careful at first to follow 
their father's good example ; but they soon began to 
neglect business for pleasure, and, instead of thinking of 
the people's good, they spent much of their time in feast- 
ing and drinking. 

In those days there dwelt at Athens two young men 
named Har-mo'di-us and A-ris-to-gi'ton. They were inti- 
mate friends, and were loved by all on account of their 
good qualities, and more especially because they were 
so anxious to increase the glory and prosperity of their 
native city. 

Harmodius had a sister who was as good as she was 
beautiful : so the people, hoping to please him, chose 
her to carry a basket of flowers in the great religious 
procession which took place in Athens every year. 

One of the tyrants, Hipparchus, was very jealous of 
Harmodius, because the people loved him so much. He 
therefore tried to annoy the young man in every way; 
and when he heard that his sister had been chosen to bear 
the flowers, he rudely forbade her presence at the feast. 

This was a great insult, for none but wicked women 
were forbidden to appear ; and, as Hipparchus had thus 
publicly disgraced the girl, her brother was very angry. 



99 

His friend, Aristogiton, was as angry as he ; and the 
two young men, consulting together, decided that as long 
as these men ruled, the Athenians would be treated 
badly, and that it would be well to get rid of them 
soon. 



-oo^j>4oo- 



XXXVIII. DEATH OF THE CONSPIRATORS. 

HARMODIUS and Aristogiton, having decided to get 
rid of the tyrants, told their plans to a few of their 
friends. Secret meetings were held at the house of a 
brave lady called Le-ae'na ("the lioness"), who was the 
only woman in the plot. 

As the Athenians were in the habit of attending the 
feast in armor, the young men waited until then to carry 
out their plans. They mingled with the crowd, found 
a good place near the tyrants, and all at once drew 
their swords from their scabbards and attacked their 
enemies. 

Harmodius was so quick that he managed to kill 
Hipparchus; but, before his companions could join and 
protect him, he was cut down by the tyrants' guards. 

Aristogiton, his friend, rushed forward to save him, 
but was made prisoner, and dragged before Hippias, who 
bade him tell the names of his companions. The young 
man at first refused to speak; but after a while, pre- 
tending to yield, he named some of the tyrants' friends 
who were helping him oppress the Athenians. 



IOO 



The tyrant, in dismay, sent for the accused, and had 
them and Aristogiton killed without trial. When he found 
out his mistake, he again tried to learn the names of the 
real conspirators. He knew that Harmodius and Aristo- 
giton had often visited Leaena : so he had her imprisoned 
and tortured, to make her tell the names of the conspir- 
ators, because he wanted to kill them all as he had 
killed Aristogiton. 

The brave woman, knowing that the lives of several 
young men depended upon her, and that a single word 
might cause their death, resolved not to utter a sound. 
In spite of the most awful tortures, she therefore kept 
her mouth tightly closed ; and when she was finally set 
free, they found that she had bitten off her tongue for 
fear of betraying her friends. 

Poor Leaena did not live long after this ; and when she 
died, she was buried in a beautiful tomb, over which her 
friends put the image of a lioness without a tongue, to 
remind the people of her courage. 

The Athenians were very sorry for her death, and 
mourned the brave youths Harmodius and Aristogiton 
for a long time ; but the tyranny of the son of Pisistra- 
tus daily grew more cruel and disagreeable. 



D^C*^ 



XXXIX. HIPPIAS DRIVEN OUT OF ATHENS. 

FOUR years passed thus, and the Athenians were hop- 
ing that the time would soon come when they could 
get rid of Hippias. They were only too glad, therefore, 



IOI 



when they at last found a way to drive him out of the 
town. 

You must remember how Megacles had killed the men 
who came out of Athene's temple clinging to the cord they 
had fastened to her statue. Megacles, as you know, had 
been banished from Athens with all his family (the Ale- 




Delphi. 



maeonidae) on account of this crime, but he had always 
hoped to be allowed to return. 

Meanwhile the beautiful temple at Delphi had been 
burned to the ground, and the people were very anxious 
to rebuild it. They therefore voted a certain sum of 
money for this purpose; and, as the Alcmaeonidae offered 



102 



to do the work for the least pay, the contract was given 
to them. 

The Alcmaeonidae faithfully carried out the plans, and 
used the money ; but, instead of building the temple of 
brick, they made it of pure white marble, paying for the 
more costly material themselves. 

The priests of Delphi were so pleased with the hand- 
some new building, and with the generosity of the builders, 
that they were eager to do them a good turn. So, know- 
ing that the Alcmaeonidae wanted to get back to Athens, 
they told the Spartans who came to consult the oracle, 
that Hippias should be driven away, and the Alcmae- 
onidae allowed to return to their native city. 

As the people believed all the oracle said, the Spar- 
tans armed at once, and, helped by the Alcmaeonidae, 
began to make war against the Athenians. By a clever 
trick, they soon managed to capture the family of Hip- 
pias, and they refused to set them free unless the tyrant 
left Athens forever. fc 

Thus forced to give in, Hippias left Athens, and with- 
drew with his family to Asia Minor. Here he spent 
all his time in trying to persuade the different cities to 
make war against Athens, offering to lead their armies, 
for he still hoped to regain his lost power. 

The Athenians, delighted at the expulsion of the 
Pis-is-trat'i-dae, as the driving-away of Hippias and his 
family is called in history, now dared to make statues in 
honor of their favorites Harmodius and Aristogiton, and 
openly expressed their regret that these brave young 
men had not lived to see their native city free. 

Many songs were composed to celebrate the patriotism 



103 

of the two friends ; and these were sung on all public 
occasions, to encourage other youths to follow their 
example, lead good and virtuous lives, and be ready at 
any time to die, if need be, for the sake of their native 
land. 

Leaena, too, received much praise, for the Athenian 
women never forgot how bravely she had endured tor- 
ture rather than betray the men who had trusted her. 

The Alcmaeonidae, having thus found their way back 
into the city, now began to play an important part in 
the government ; and Clis'the-nes, their leader, urged 
the Athenians to obey again the laws which had been 
made by Solon. 

These were slightly changed, however, so as to give 
more power to the people ; and the government thus 
became more democratic than ever. Then, too, Clis- 
thenes said that there should always be ten Athenian 
generals who should hold supreme command each for 
a day in turn. 

He also made a law, to the effect that no man should 
be driven out of the city unless there were six thousand 
votes in favor of his exile. These votes were given in 
a strange way. 

When a man was so generally disliked that his de- 
parture seemed best, all the Athenians assembled in the 
market place. Then each voter received a shell (Greek, 
ostrakon\ and dropped it into a place made for that 
purpose. All in favor of banishment wrote upon their 
shells the name of the man they wished to exile. The 
others left theirs blank. 

When all the votes had thus been cast, the shells were 



104 

carefully counted, and, if six thousand bore the name 
of the same man, he was driven out of the city, or 
ostracized, as it was called from the name of the shell, 
for ten years. 

OO^KOC 



XL. THE GREAT KING. 

HIPPIAS, the exiled tyrant of Athens, as we have 
already seen, had taken up his abode in Asia 
Minor, where he made several unsuccessful attempts to 
regain his power. 

The Greek cities were not ready to help him, how- 
ever, so he tried to get another ally. Now, the greatest 
ruler in Asia Minor was Da-ri'us, the king who won 
his throne by the aid of his horse and groom, as you 
will see in ancient history. 

He was a powerful monarch, — so powerful that the 
Greeks, who had built cities all along the coast of Asia 
Minor, in the country called Ionia, never spoke of him 
except as "The Great King." 

Darius' kingdom was so large that it was quite im- 
possible for one person to govern it without help. He 
therefore divided it into satrapies, or provinces, each of 
which was under the care of a satrap, or governor. 
These men received their orders from the king, saw 
that they were obeyed in all the territory under their 
care, and kept Darius informed of all that was go- 
ing on. 

The Great King generally dwelt at Ec-bat'a-na, a 
city surrounded by seven walls, each painted in a differ- 



105 

ent but very bright color. Inside the seventh and last 
wall stood the palace and treasure house, which was 
fairly overflowing with gold and precious stones. 

As there were armed soldiers at every gate in the 
seven walls, only the people to whom the king was 
willing to grant an audience could enter. 

Now, although so secluded, Darius knew perfectly 
well all that was happening in every part of his king- 
dom, and even in the neighboring states ; for his satraps 
sent him messengers daily to report all the news, and 
he had many paid spies, whose duty it was to tell him 
all they knew. 

He was therefore one of the first Eastern rulers who 
heard of the revolt of the Athenians ; and soon after 
this he learned that Hippias had come to Asia, and was 
trying to induce the Greek cities to make war against 
the Athenians. 

When Hippias arrived at Ecbatana in search of aid, 
he could not immediately see the king, but was obliged 
to send in a message written on a waxen tablet. This 
passed from hand to hand, and finally reached Darius, 
who, recognizing the name at the bottom of the request, 
graciously said that he would receive the exiled tyrant 
of Athens. 

XLI. HIPPIAS VISITS DARIUS. 

HIPPIAS was led by one of the officers of the king's 
household past all the guards, who respectfully 
made way for him, and was brought into the most mag- 



io6 



nificent dwelling he had ever seen. All the walls were 
covered with silken hangings of the richest dyes, and 
the furniture sparkled with gold and precious stones. 

After passing through many rooms, where he saw 
richly dressed courtiers, and guards with jeweled weap- 
ons, Hippias was finally brought into a great audience 
chamber, at one end of which hung a heavy curtain of 
royal purple. 

Here all the courtiers knelt, bending over to touch 
the floor with their foreheads, in token of homage to 
The Great King. The officer now bade Hippias do like- 
wise ; and when the Athenian raised his head, after 
reluctantly going through this performance, he saw that 
the curtain had been quietly pulled aside. 

On a beautiful throne of ivory and gold, all over- 
shadowed by a golden vine bearing clusters of jeweled 
grapes, sat the Persian king. He was clad in superbly 
embroidered robes, wore a diamond crown or tiara, held 
a scepter of pure gold, and was surrounded by his 
officers, who were almost as richly dressed as he. 

As the Athenians were plain people, Hippias had 
never seen such a sight before, and stared at the gar- 
ments, which were far handsomer than those which the 
Greek gods were given to wear. 

Invited to speak freely and make his errand known, 
Hippias now told Darius that he had come to ask his 
aid against the revolted Athenians. Darius listened 
politely to all he had to say, and then sent him away, 
graciously promising to think the matter over, and giv- 
ing orders that Hippias should be royally entertained in 
the mean while. 



107 

Among Darius' numerous slaves, most of whom were 
captives of war, there was a learned Greek doctor called 
Dem-o-ce'des. This man, hoping soon to recover his 
freedom by paying a sum of money, was very careful 
to hide his name, and not to tell any one how much he 
knew. 

It happened, however, that the king hurt his foot ; 
and after the Persian doctors had all vainly tried to cure 
him, he sent for Democedes, saying that he would put 
him to death if he did not speedily help him. 

Thus forced to use his knowledge, Democedes did all 
he could for the king, and treated the wound so skill- 
fully that the monarch was soon cured. The king, who 
had found out from the other captives that the man was 
a doctor, now named him court physician, and even had 
him attend his wives. 

One of these women was A-tos'sa, the favorite queen ; 
and when she became ill, Democedes was fortunate 
enough to save her life. The king was so delighted 
with this cure, that he bade Democedes choose any re- 
ward he pleased except his freedom. 

Democedes, after a few moments' thought, asked per- 
mission to visit his native land once more ; and Darius 
let him go under the escort of fifteen officers, who had 
orders not to lose sight of the doctor for a moment, to 
bring him back by force if necessary, and to spy out 
the land. 

In spite of the constant watching of these fifteen men, 
Democedes managed to escape while they were in Greece, 
and hid so well that they were never able to find him. 
They were therefore obliged to go home without him; 



io8 



and as soon as they arrived in Persia, they reported to 
Darius all they had done on the way. 

The Great King questioned them very closely about 
all they had seen ; and his curiosity was so excited by 
what they told him, that he made up his mind to con- 
quer Greece and add it to his kingdom. 

He therefore sent for Hippias again, told him that he 
was ready to help him, and gave orders to collect one 
of the largest armies that had ever been seen. With 
this army he hoped not only to take the whole coun- 
try, but also to get back the runaway doctor, Dem- 
ocedes, who in the mean while was living peacefully in 
Greece, where he had married a daughter of the famous 
strong man, Milo of Croton. 



^X)>*4< 



XLII. DESTRUCTION OF THE PERSIAN 

HOST. 

THE Persian preparations for war were hastened 
by news that all the Ionian cities had rebelled. 
These were, as you remember, Greek colonies founded 
on the coast of Asia Minor. They had little by little 
fallen into the hands of the Persians ; but, as they hated 
to submit to foreign rule, they had long planned a revolt. 
The Athenians, who knew that the Persians were talk- 
ing of coming over to conquer them, now offered to help 
the Ionians, and sent some troops over to Asia Minor. 
These joined the rebels, and together they managed to 



109 

surprise and burn to the ground the rich city of Sar'dis, 
which belonged to Darius. 

A messenger was sent in hot haste to bear these ti- 
dings to The Great King ; and when he heard them, he 
was very angry indeed. In his wrath, he said that he 
would punish both rebels and Athenians, and immedi- 
ately sent his army into Ionia. 

The first part of his vow was easily kept, for his 
troops soon defeated the Ionian army, and forced the 
rebels to obey him once more. When Darius heard this, 
he was very much pleased ; and then, sending for his 
bow, he shot an arrow in the direction of Athens, to 
show that the punishment of the Athenians would be 
his next care. 

As he was afraid of forgetting these enemies in the 
pressure of other business, he gave orders that a slave 
should appear before him every day while he sat at 
dinner, and solemnly say, " Master, remember the 
Athenians ! " 

When the preparations for this distant war were ended, 
the Persian army set out for Greece. In order to reach 
that country, it had to march a long way through the 
northern part of Asia Minor, cross a narrow strait 
called the Hefles-pont, and pass along the coast of the 
^Egean Sea, through Thrace and Scyth'i-a. 

In these countries the Persian army met the fierce 
and warlike Scyth'i-ans mounted on their fleet-footed 
horses, and was nearly cut to pieces. The Persians 
were so frightened by the attack of these foes, that 
they refused to go any farther, and even beat a hasty 
retreat. 



no 



The Persian fleet in the mean while had sailed along 
bravely. It soon came to the promontory formed by 
Mount A'thos, a tall mountain which sometimes casts a 
shadow eighty miles long over the sea. Here a terrible 
tempest overtook the fleet, and the waves rose so high 
that six hundred vessels were dashed to pieces. 

All the rest of the Persian vessels were so damaged 
by the storm, that it was soon decided that they had 
better return home. The soldiers of The Great King 
were of course greatly discouraged by these misfortunes ; 
but Darius was more than ever determined to conquer 
Greece, and at once began to gather a second army, and 
to build a second fleet. 



3>#<0<^ 



XLIII. THE ADVANCE OF THE SECOND 

HOST. 

DARIUS was very busy preparing this other army 
to march against Greece. While the men were 
being drilled, he sent two messengers to the Greek towns 
and islands, bidding them surrender and give him earth 
and water. 

By demanding "earth and water," Darius meant that 
he wanted them to recognize him as their king, and as 
master of all their lands and vessels. The inhabitants 
of many of the islands and towns were so frightened 
by the messages sent by The Great King, that they 
humbly yielded ; but when the messengers came to 
Sparta and Athens, they met with a different reception. 



Ill 



In both cities the people proudly replied that they 
were their own masters, and would not yield to the 
demands of the Persian king. Then, angered by the 
insolent command to give earth and water, the Spar- 
tans entirely forgot that the life of an ambassador is 
sacred. In their rage, they seized the Persians, flung 
one, into a j)it and the other into a well, and told them 
to take all the earth and water they wanted. 

This conduct made Darius all the more angry, and he 
hastened his preparations as much as he could. He was 
so active that in a short time he was able to start out 
again, with an army of a hundred and twenty thousand 
men. 

The generals of this force were Da/tis and Ar-ta-pher'- 
nes, who were guided and advised by the trai tor Hippias. 
The fleet was to land the army on the plain of Mar'a-thon, 
close by the sea, and only one day's journey from Athens. 

When the Athenians heard that the Persians were 
coming, they immediately decided to ask the Spartans, 
who were now their aUies, to come to their aid, and. help 
them drive back the enemy. As there was no time to 
lose, they chose as their messenger a fleet-footed Athe- 
nian, who made the journey of a hundred and fifty miles 
in a few hours, running every step of the way, and only 
seldom pausing to rest. 

The Spartans listened breathlessly to his tidings, and 
promised that they would help the Athenians ; but they 
added, that they would not be able to start until the 
moon was full, for they thought that they would be 
beaten unless they set out at a certain time. 

The Persians in the mean while were advancing rapidly, 



112 



so the Athenians started out to meet them with no other 
help than that of their neighbors the Pla-tae'ans. The 
whole Greek force numbered only ten thousand men, 
and was under the command of the ten Athenian gen- 
erals who were each entitled to the leadership for a 
day in turn. 

Among these ten Athenian generals were three remark- 
able men, — Mil-ti'a-des,. Ar-is-ti'des, and The-mis'to-cles. 

They consulted together, hoping to 

find a plan by which their small 

army could successfully oppose 

the Persian host, which was 

twelve times greater. 

At last Miltiades proposed 
a plan which might succeed, 
provided there was but one 
chief, and all obeyed him well. 
Aristides, who was not only a 
good man, but also remarkably 
just and wise, at once saw the. 
importance of such a plan, and 
offered to give up his day's 
command, and to carry out 
his friend's orders just as if he were nothing but a com- 
mon soldier. 

The other generals, not wishing to appear less gener- 
ous than he, also gave up their command to Miltiades, 
who thus found himself general in chief of the Athenian 
and Plataean armies. So he speedily made his prepara- 
tions, and drew up his small force on the plain of Mara- 
thon, between the mountains and the sea. 




Themistocles. 



H3 



XLIV. THE BATTLE OF MARATHON. 

THE Greek army seemed so very small beside the huge 
host of invaders, that the Persians felt perfectly sure 
that it would surrender as soon as the fight began. Im- 
agine their surprise, therefore, when the Greeks, instead 
of waiting for them, gave the signal for battle, and rushed 
furiously upon them. 

The daring and force of the Greek attack so con- 
fused the Persians, that they began to give way. This 
encouraged the Greeks still further, and they fought 
with such bravery that soon the army of The Great King 
was completely routed. 

Hippias, fighting at the head of the Persian army, 
was one of the first to die ; and when the Persians saw 
their companions falling around them like ripe grain 
under the mower's scythe, they were seized with terror, 
rushed toward the sea, and embarked in their vessels in 
great haste. 

The Athenians followed the enemy closely, killing all 
they could reach, and trying to prevent them from em- 
barking and so escaping their wrath. One Greek soldier 
even rushed down into the waves, and held a Persian 
vessel which was about to push off. 

The Persians, anxious to escape, struck at him, and 
chopped off his hand ; but the Greek, without hesitating 
a moment, grasped the boat with his other hand, and 
held it fast. In their hurry to get away, the Persians 
struck off that hand too; but the dauntless hero caught 
and held the boat with his strong teeth, and died beneath 

STO. OF GR. — 8 



114 

the repeated blows of the enemy without having once let 
go. Thanks to him, not one of those enemies escaped. 

The victory was a glorious one. The whole Persian 
force had been routed by a mere handful of men ; and 
the Athenians were so proud of their victory, that they 
longed to have their fellow-citizens rejoice with them. 

One of the soldiers, who had fought bravely all day, 
and who was covered with blood, said he would carry 
the glad news, and, without waiting a moment, he started 
off at a run. 

Such was his haste to reassure the Athenians, that 
he ran at his utmost speed, and reached the city in a 
few hours. He was so exhausted, however, that he had 
barely time to gasp out, " Rejoice, we have conquered ! " 
before he sank down in the middle of the market place, 
dead. 

The Greeks, having no more foes to kill, next began 
to rob the tents, where they found so much booty that 
each man became quite rich. Then they gathered up 
their dead, and buried them honorably on the battlefield, 
at a spot where they afterward erected ten small columns 
bearing the names of all who had lost their lives in 
the conflict. 

Just as all was over, the Spartan force came rushing 
up, ready to give their promised aid. They were so 
sorry not to have had a chance to fight also, and to 
have missed a share in the glory, that they vowed they 
would never again allow any superstition to prevent 
their striking a blow for their native land whenever the 
necessity arose. 

Miltiades, instead of permitting his weary soldiers to 



n5 

camp on the battlefield, and celebrate their victory by 
a grand feast, next ordered them to march on to the 
city, so as to defend it in case the Persian fleet came to 
attack it. 

The troops had scarcely arrived in town and taken 
up their post there, when the Persian vessels came in ; 
but when the soldiers attempted to land, and saw the 
same men ready to meet them, they were so dismayed 
that they beat a hasty retreat without striking another 
blow. 



-o-o^a^o^ 



XLV. MILTIADES' DISGRACE. 

THE victory of Marathon was a great triumph for 
the Athenians; and Miltiades, who had so success- 
fully led them, was loaded with honors. His portrait 
was painted by the best artist of the day, and it was 
placed in one of the porticos of Athens, where every 
one could see it. 

At his request, the main part of the booty was given 
to the gods, for the Greeks believed that it was owing to 
divine favor that they had conquered their enemies. The 
brazen arms and shields which they had taken from the 
ten thousand Persians killed were therefore melted, and 
formed into an immense statue of Athene, which was 
placed on the Acropolis, on a pedestal so high that the 
glittering lance which the goddess held could be seen 
far out at sea when the sunbeams struck its point. 

The Athenians vented their triumph and delight in 
song and dance, in plays and works of art of all kinds ; 



u6 



for they wished to commemorate the glorious victory 
which had cost them only a hundred and ninety men, 
while the enemy had lost ten thousand. 

One of their choicest art treasures was made by 
Phidias, the greatest sculptor the world has ever known, 
out of a beautiful block of marble which Darius had 
brought from Persia. The Great King had intended to 
set it up in Athens as a monument of his victory over 
the Greeks. It was used instead to record his defeat; 
and when finished, the statue represented Nem'e-sis, the 
goddess of retribution, whose place it was to punish the 
proud and insolent, and to make them repent of their 
sins. 

Miltiades was, as we have seen, the idol of the Athe- 
nian people after his victory at Marathon. Unfortu- 
nately, however, they were inclined to be fickle ; and 
when they saw that Miltiades occupied such a high rank, 
many began to envy him. 

Themistocles was particularly jealous of the great 
honors that his friend had won. His friends soon noticed 
his gloomy, discontented looks ; and when they inquired 
what caused them, Themistocles said it was because the 
thought of the trophies of Miltiades would not let him 
sleep. Some time after, when he saw that Miltiades 
was beginning to misuse his power, he openly showed 
his dislike. 

Not very far from Athens, out in the ^Egean Sea, was 
the Island of Pa'ros. The people living there were ene- 
mies of Miltiades ; and he, being sole head of the fleet, 
led it thither to avenge his personal wrongs. 

The expedition failed, however ; and Miltiades came 



ii7 

back to Athens, where Themistocles and the indignant 
citizens accused him of betraying his trust, tried him, 
and convicted him of treason. 

Had they not remembered the service that he had 
rendered his country in defeating the Persians at Mara- 
thon, they would surely have condemned him to death. 
As it was, the jury merely sentenced him to pay a 
heavy fine, saying that he should remain in prison until 
it was paid. 

Miltiades was not rich enough to raise this large sum 
of money, so he died in prison. His son Ci'mon went 
to claim his body, so that he might bury it properly ; 
but the hard-hearted judges refused to let him have it 
until he had paid his father's debt. 

Thus forced to turn away without his father's corpse, 
Cimon visited his friends, who lent him the necessary 
money. Miltiades, who had been the idol of the people, 
was now buried hurriedly and in secret, because the un- 
grateful Athenians had forgotten all the good he had 
done them, and remembered only his faults. 

o-oj^joo 



XLVI. ARISTIDES THE JUST. 

THE Athenians were very happy, because they thought, 
that, having once defeated the Persians, they need 
fear them no more. They were greatly mistaken, how- 
ever. The Great King had twice seen his preparations 
come to naught and his plans ruined, but he was not 
yet ready to give up the hope of conquering Greece. 



u8 



On the contrary, he solemnly swore that he would 
return with a greater army than ever, and make himself 
master of the proud city which had defied him. These 
plans were suspected by Themistocles, who therefore 
urged the Athenians to strengthen their navy, so that 
they might be ready for war when it came. 

Aristides, the other general, was of the opinion that 
it was useless to build any more ships, but that the 
Athenians should increase their land forces. As each 
general had a large party, many quarrels soon arose. 
It became clear before long, that, unless one of the two 
leaders left the town, there would be an outbreak of 
civil war. 

All the Athenians, therefore, gathered together in the 
market place, where they were to vote for or against 
the banishment of one of the leaders. Of course, on 
this great occasion, all the workmen left their labors, 
and even the farmers came in from the fields. 

Aristides was walking about among the voters, when 
a farmer stopped him. The man did not know who he 
was, but begged him to write his vote down on the 
shell, for he had never even learned to read. 

"What name shall I write?" questioned Aristides. 

"Oh, put down 'Aristides,'" answered the farmer. 

" Why do you want him sent away ? Has he ever 
done you any harm ? " asked Aristides. 

"No," said the man, "but I'm tired of hearing him 
called the Just." 

Without saying another word, Aristides calmly wrote 
his own name on the shell. When the votes were 
counted, they found six thousand against him : so 



ii9 

Aristides the Just was forced to leave his native city, 
and go away into exile. 

This was a second example of Athenian ingratitude ; 
for Aristides had never done anything wrong, but had, 
on the contrary, done all he could to help his country. 
His enemies, however, were the men who were neither 
honest nor just, and who felt that his virtues were 
a constant rebuke to them ; and this was the very 
reason why they were so anxious to get him out of 
the city. 



5>«4< 



XLVII. TWO NOBLE SPARTAN YOUTHS. 

DARIUS was in the midst of his preparations for 
a third expedition to Greece, when all his plans 
were cut short by death. His son and successor, 
Xerx'es I., now became King of Persia in his stead. 

The new monarch was not inclined to renew the 
struggle with the Greeks ; but his courtiers and the 
exiled Greeks who dwelt in his palace so persistently 
urged him to do it, that he finally consented. Orders 
were then sent throughout the kingdom to get ready 
for war, and Xerxes said that he would lead the 
army himself. 

During eight years the constant drilling of troops, 
manufacture of arms, collecting of provisions, and con- 
struction of roads, were kept up all through Asia. A 
mighty fleet lay at anchor, and the king was almost 
ready to start. Rumors of these great preparations had, 



120 



of course, come to the ears of the Greeks. All hearts 
were filled with trouble and fear ; for the coming army 
was far larger than the one the Athenians had defeated 
at Marathon, and they could not expect to be so fortu- 
nate again. 

When the Spartans saw the terror of the people, they 
regretted having angered the king by killing the Persian 
messengers, and wondered what they could do to disarm 
his wrath. Two young men, BuTis and Sper'thi-as, then 
nobly resolved to offer their lives in exchange for 
those that had been taken. 

They therefore set out for Persia, and, having obtained 
permission to enter the palace, appeared before the king. 
Here the courtiers bade them fall down before the mon- 
arch, and do homage to him, as they saw the others do. 
But the proud young men refused to do so, saying 
that such honor could be shown only to their gods, and 
that it was not the custom of their country to humble 
themselves thus. Xerxes, to the surprise of his courtiers, 
did not at all resent their refusal to fall down before 
him, but kindly bade them make their errand known. 

Thus invited to speak, one of them replied, "King 
of Persia, some years ago our people killed two of your 
father's messengers. It was wrong to touch an ambas- 
sador, we know. You are about to visit our country to 
seek revenge for this crime. Desist, O king ! for we 
have come hither, my friend and I, to offer our lives 
in exchange for those our people have taken. Here we 
are ! Do with us as you will." 

Xerxes was filled with admiration when he heard 
this speech, and saw the handsome youths standing 



121 



quietly before him, ready to die to atone for their coun- 
try's wrong. Instead of accepting their offer, he loaded 
them with rich gifts, and sent them home unharmed, 
telling them he would not injure the innocent, for he 
was more just than the Lac-e-dae-mo'ni-ans. 

But a few months later, when his preparations were 
complete, Xerxes set out with an army which is said 
to have numbered more than two million fighting men. 
As they were attended by slaves and servants of all 
kinds, some of the old historians say that ten millions 
of human beings were included in this mighty host. 



-oOXfcJC 



XLVIII. THE GREAT ARMY. 

XERXES' army marched in various sections across 
Asia Minor, and all the forces came together at 
the Hellespont. Here the king had ordered the build- 
ing of two great bridges, — one for the troops, and the 
other for the immense train of baggage which followed 
him. 

These bridges were no sooner finished than a rising 
storm entirely destroyed them. When Xerxes heard 
of the disaster, he not only condemned the unlucky 
engineers to death, but also had the waves flogged with 
whips, and ordered chains flung across the strait, to 
show that he considered the sea an unruly slave, who 
should be taught to obey his master. 

Then, undaunted by his misfortune, the King of 
Persia gave orders for the building of new bridges; and 



122 



when they were finished, he reviewed his army from the 
top of a neighboring mountain. 

The sight must have been grand indeed, and the cour- 
tiers standing around were greatly surprised when they 
saw their master suddenly burst into tears. When asked 
the cause of his sorrow, Xerxes answered, " See that 
mighty host spread out as far as eye can reach ! I 
weep at the thought that a hundred years hence there 
will be nothing left of it except, perhaps, a handful of 
dust and a few moldering bones ! " 

The king was soon comforted, however, and crossed 
the bridge first, attended by his bodyguard of picked 
soldiers, who were called the Immortals because they 
had never suffered defeat. All the army followed him, 
and during seven days and nights the bridge resounded 
with the steady tramp of the armed host ; but, even 
when the rear guard had passed over the Hellespont, 
there were still so many slaves and baggage wagons, 
that it took them a whole month to file past. 

That was a procession such as has never again been 
seen. You can imagine what a sight it was for all the 
boys and girls who lived near enough to the Helles- 
pont to see this mighty parade, which continued night 
and day. 

They saw not only the sacred chariot drawn by eight 
white horses, the glittering array of the Immortals, the 
burnished helmets and arms of the foot soldiers, and 
the silken canopies and tents over the grandees, but 
also countless chariots drawn by four horses, and pro- 
vided on either side with sharp scythes, which were 
intended to mow down the enemy like ripe grain. 



o 



3 

0"Q 



X 



o 

3 




124 

Besides these strange mowing machines, there were 
many other engines of war, which were all made to 
strike terror into the hearts of the Greeks, and to sub- 
due completely the proud people who had so sorely 
defeated Darius' troops at Marathon. 

To prevent his fleet from being wrecked as his father's 
was, Xerxes had given orders to dig a great canal across 
the isthmus that connected Mount Athos with the main- 
land; and through this the vessels sailed past the prom- 
ontory in safety. 



sXKoo- 



XLIX. PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENSE. 

THE news of Xerxes' crossing of the Hellespont, and 
of his approach to conquer Greece, soon reached 
Athens, where it filled all hearts with fear. The people 
then remembered Miltiades, and bitterly regretted his 
death, and their ingratitude, which had been its real 
cause. 

As the mighty general who had already once delivered 
them was dead, they tried to think who could best re- 
place him, and decided to recall Aristides the Just from 
his undeserved exile. Aristides generously forgave his 
fellow-citizens for all the harm they had done him, and 
he and Themistocles began to do all in their power to 
insure the safety of Athens. 

Swift runners were dispatched in every direction with 
messages urging all the Greek cities to unite for the 
good of the country by sending as many brave men 



125 

as possible to check the Persian army, and to try to 
hinder it from really entering Greece. 

Themistocles was the most active in this attempt 
to induce the Greek cities to join forces, and it was 
he who planned a great council, or meeting, at Corinth, 
in 481 B.C. There it soon became evident that the 
cities were too jealous of each other to unite as they 
should. 

Many of them promised help, which they never sent; 
others vowed they would neither send troops nor furnish 
aid of any kind, unless their generals had supreme com- 
mand ; and even the oracles gave vague and discouraging 
answers, when consulted as usual. 

In spite of all these drawbacks, Themistocles managed 
to get a few allies ; and, in order to induce the Spartans 
to lend their aid, he promised them the command not 
only of the army, but also of the fleet. 

He next persuaded them that it would be wisest to 
send an armed force into Thessaly, so as to defend the 
narrow pass of Thermopylae, which was the only road by 
which the Persians could enter Greece. This natural 
causeway, as we have seen, lay between the mountains 
and the sea ; and, because there were springs of warm 
water here, it was generally known as Thermopylae, 
which is the Greek for " Hot Gateway." 

Under the guidance of Le-on'i-das, one of the Spartan 
kings, three hundred Lacedaemonian soldiers and six 
thousand allies marched thither, and undertook to guard 
the pass. This was a very small army ; but it was im- 
possible to get more soldiers at the time, as all the 
Greeks were more anxious to attend the Olympic games, 



126 



which were just then being celebrated, than to defend 
their country and homes. 

Many of them said they were afraid the gods would 
be angry if they did not keep the feast as usual, and 
declared that it was against the law to bear arms or 
make war during that time. This was perfectly true ; 
but Xerxes did not care at all for the Greek gods, and 
the country would have been defenseless had it not been 
for Leonidas and his handful of men. 

While this little army traveled northwards, the rest of 
the people thronged to Olympia, promising to come and 
fight as soon as the games were ended, and they could 
again bear arms without offending the gods. 

The Persian fleet, as you have seen, had passed behind 
Mount Athos, instead of rounding it as before, and Xerxes 
intended landing part of his army just below Thermopy- 
lae. Unfortunately for him, however, the four hundred 
vessels bearing his troops were wrecked by a sudden 
storm. 

Another fleet was immediately prepared ; but, before it 
was ready, the Olympic games came to an end, and the 
Greeks, flying to arms as they had promised, hastily 
embarked upon their own vessels, and came and took 
up their position at Ar-te-mis'ium, to hinder the ad- 
vance of the Persian fleet. 




127 



L. LEONIDAS AT THERMOPYLAE. 

THE Persian army had come to the Pass of Ther- 
mopylae ; and Xerxes, seeing that it was guarded by 
only a few men, sent them a haughty message, bidding 
them surrender their arms. 

Instead of seeing a meek compliance with this request, 
as they expected, the Persian heralds were amazed to hear 
Leonidas reply with true laconic brevity, " Come and take 
them ! " 

The Spartan king, however, had quickly seen that it 
would be impossible for him to do much more than stop 
for a while the advance of this mighty host. As a Spar- 
tan never drew back, he made up his mind to die on the 
field of battle, and bade his warriors comb their hair, 
don their choicest armor, and dress themselves in their 
richest attire, as was the custom when some great danger 
threatened them and they expected to die. 

The Persians, seeing this, were greatly surprised, and 
advanced confidently, for they fancied that men who took 
so much trouble to curl and perfume their hair would not 
be hard to conquer. They soon found out their mistake. 

As they advanced, the archers shot a volley of arrows, 
and in such numbers that they fairly darkened the sun. 
One of the allies, seeing this, ran to warn Leonidas ; but 
he received the startling news with great coolness, and 
merely said, " Very well ; then we can fight in the 
shade." 

When Xerxes saw that the Greeks would not yield 
without striking a blow, he gave orders for the battle to 



128 



begin. The Persians pressed forward, under the eye of 
their king, who sat high up on the rocks to see them 
conquer ; but, to his surprise, they were driven back 
by that mere handful of men. 

Again and again they tried to force the pass, but all 
their attempts proved vain. The Persian soldiers, amazed 
at the courage of the Greeks, were filled with supersti- 
tious fears, and began to refuse to advance, except when 
driven onward under the stinging blows of the lash. 

The king was furious to see their close ranks give way 
time after time, and finally ordered his own Immortals 
to march on and scatter the army, which, although so 
small, was keeping millions of men at bay. He ex- 
pected that everything would of course give way at the 
very first charge of these troops. 

Imagine his wrath, therefore, when he saw the Immor- 
tals also retreat, after many useless efforts to drive away 
the enemy. The Persians did not know what to do. 
They could not advance, and were ashamed to retreat 



-OO^OO- 



LI. DEATH OF LEONIDAS. 

WHILE the Persians were hesitating thus, a Greek 
shepherd, Eph-i-al'tes, stole into their camp, and, 
vile traitor that he was, offered to show them another 
way to get into Greece, if they would pay him well. 
This man was led into the tent of a Persian general, 
where he explained that he could easily lead a troop of 
Persians over the mountains. 



129 



By a goat path known to the Greeks only, it was pos- 
sible not only to cross the mountains, but also to come 
down upon the small Greek force guarding the Pass of 
Thermopylae. 

His offer as guide was accepted. Ephialtes, true to 
his promise, if not to his country, led the Persian Im- 
mortals along this narrow way. 
Leonidas, who could not 
imagine that any one of 
the Greeks would be 
base enough to sell 
his country and honor 
for gold, had placed 
only a few of the 
allies at this spot. 

The Immortals fol- 
lowed Ephialtes, ea- 
sily cut these few 
men down, and came 
unperceived behind 
the Spartan troops. 
It was only when he 
heard the tramp of 
horses behind him and 
on the mountain above 
him, that Leonidas found out that he had been betrayed. 

Hastily calling his allies, he gave them permission to 
save themselves by flight, declaring, however, that he 
and his companions would never leave their post, and 
that, since they could not conquer, they were ready to 
die. 

STO. OF GR. — 9 




A Fighting Persian. 



130 

Some of the allies took advantage of this permission 
to escape, but seven hundred Thes'pi-ans nobly chose 
to remain with the Spartans. With the courage of 
despair, these men now fought against the Persians 
before and behind them, selling their lives as dearly as 
possible. In spite of the odds against them, they re- 
fused to surrender, and finally fell, one after another, 
on the spot which they had undertaken to guard. 

Their bodies, which were found almost in a heap, — for 
they had scorned to fly, — were honorably buried in a 
single mound, over which rose a monument with this 
modest inscription, — 

" Go, passer-by, at Sparta tell, 
Obedient to her law we fell." 

The Persians had forced their way into Greece. Noth- 
ing could check their further advance, so the mighty 
army swept southward. The first place of note on 
their way to Athens was Delphi, the site of the sacred 
temple, where great treasures were stored. 

The Greeks knew that ■ the Persians did not worship 
the same gods, and feared that they might rob the 
temple : so they now eagerly questioned the oracle, to 
find out whether they should not all assemble there in 
its defense. 

To their surprise, the oracle proudly replied, " The 
gods will take care of their own," and bade them rather 
use their strength to defend their own homes. 

The Persians marched into the rocky gorge leading 
to the temple at Delphi, but just as they were entering 
the valley a terrible thunderstorm broke forth. The 



i3i 

darkness became so great that the soldiers lost their 
way. The rocks rolled and crashed down upon them ; 
and the soldiers, filled with dread, beat a hasty retreat, 
and never again dared venture into this valley. 

In the mean while the Greek fleet at Artemisium had 
held the Persian vessels at bay, until news was brought 
of the death of Leonidas, and the passage of Ther- 
mopylae. Then the Greeks sailed as fast as they could 
toward Athens, knowing that they would be needed 
there to defend the city. 

The various allies, sure that it would be quite useless 
to try to defend the northern part of Greece any 
longer, retreated into the Peloponnesus, and, hoping to 
prevent the Persians from entering there, hastily began 
to build a huge wall all across the Isthmus of Corinth, 
which is only about five miles wide. 



:>^oo- 



LIL THE BURNING OF ATHENS. 

AS all their allies were trying only to defend the Pelo- 
ponnesus, the Athenians were left entirely alone. 
Many of their friends advised them to abandon their 
city, and follow the other Greeks southward, leaving all 
Attica a prey to the foe. 

This the Athenians did not wish to do, so they sent in 
haste to Delphi, to inquire of the oracle whether they 
had better retreat, or attempt to defend their city. As 
was generally the case, the oracle did not give a plain 



132 

answer, but merely said, "The wooden walls will defend 
you and your children." 

When this answer was brought to Athens, no one could 
tell exactly what it meant. Some of the citizens fancied 
that the oracle was advising them to retreat behind the 
ancient wooden stockade on the Acropolis, but Themis- 
tocles insisted that by " wooden walls " the oracle meant 
their ships. 

He finally persuaded the Athenians to believe him. All 
the old men, women, and children were hastily brought on 
board the ships, and carried to the Peloponnesus, where 
they were welcomed by their friends. Then the men em- 
barked in their turn, and the fleet sailed off to the Bay of 
Sal'a-mis, where it awaited a good chance to fight. 

The Persians swept down into Attica, and entered the 
deserted city of Athens. Here they gazed in wonder at 
all they saw, and, after robbing the houses, set fire to the 
town, and burned down all the most beautiful buildings. 

The Persians were so delighted at having attained their 
purpose, and reduced the proud city to ashes, that they 
sent messengers to bear the glad tidings to the Persian 
capital. Here the people became almost wild with joy, 
and the whole city rang with their cries of triumph for 
many a day. 

As you will remember, Themistocles had allowed the 
Spartans to command both the army and the navy. It 
was therefore a Spartan king, Eu-ry-bi'a-des, who was 
head of the fleet at Salamis. He was a careful man, and 
was not at all in favor of attacking the Persians. 

Themistocles, on the contrary, felt sure that an imme- 
diate attack, being unexpected, would prove successful, 



133 

and therefore loudly insisted upon it. His persistency in 
urging it finally made Eurybiades so angry that he ex- 
claimed, " Those who begin the race before the signal is 
given are publicly scourged ! " 

Themistocles, however, would not allow even this re- 
mark to annoy him, and calmly answered, " Very true, 
but laggards never win a crown ! " The reply, which 
Eurybiades thought was meant for an insult, so enraged 
him that he raised his staff to strike the bold speaker. At 
this, the brave Athenian neither drew back nor flew into a 
passion : he only cried, " Strike if you will, but hear me ! " 

Once more Themistocles explained his reasons for 
urging an immediate attack ; and his plans were so good, 
that Eurybiades, who could but admire his courage, finally 
yielded, and gave orders to prepare for battle. 



-O-O^JOO- 



LIII. THE BATTLES OF SALAMIS AND 

PLAT^A. 

THE fleets soon came face to face; and Xerxes took 
up his post on a mountain, where he sat in state 
upon a hastily built throne to see his vessels destroy the 
enemy. He had made very clever plans, and, as his fleet 
was far larger than that of the Greeks, he had no doubt 
that he would succeed in defeating them. 

His plans, however, had been found out by Aristides, 
who was in the Island of JEgina. ; and this noble man 
rowed over to the fleet, at the risk of being caught by the 
enemy, to warn his fellow-citizens of their danger. 



134 

He first spoke to Themistocles, saying, " Rivals we 
have always been ; let us now set all other rivalry aside, 
and only strive which can best serve his native country." 

Themistocles agreed to this proposal, and managed 
affairs so wisely and bravely that the Greeks won a great 
victory. When they came home in triumph with much 
spoil, the women received them with cries of joy, and 
strewed flowers under their feet. 

From his high position, Xerxes saw his fleet cut to 
pieces ; and he was so discouraged by this check, that 
he hastened back to Persia, leaving his brother-in-law 
Mar-do'ni-us with an army of three hundred thousand 
men to finish the conquest of Greece. 

The Greeks were so happy over their naval victory 
at* Salamis, that they all flew to arms once more ; and 
Pau-sa'ni-as, the Spartan king, the successor of Leonidas, 
was soon able to lead a large army against Mardonius. 

The two forces met at Pla-tae'a, and again the Greeks 
won, although fighting against foes who greatly out- 
numbered them. Strange to relate, while Pausanias was 
winning one battle at Plataea, the other Spartan king, 
Eurybiades, defeated a new Persian fleet at Myc'a-le. 

These two victories finished the rout of the greatest 
army ever seen. Mardonius fled with the remnant of 
his host, leaving his tents, baggage, and slaves to the 
Greeks, who thus got much booty. 

We are told that the Spartans, entering the Persian 
camp, were greatly amazed at the luxury of the tents. 
Pausanias stopped in the one that had been occupied by 
Mardonius, and bade the slaves prepare a meal such as 
they had been wont to lay before their master. 



lW\W\WTWS i! f '■'%'," '( 



70 
a> 



CD 

< 
o' 
o 

-f 

o 

c 

W 

o 

-t 

a> 

CD 

?r 




136 

Then, calling his own Helots, he gave orders for his 
usual supper. When both meals were ready, they made 
the greatest contrast. The Persian tent was all decked 
with costly hangings, the table was spread with many 
kinds of rich food served in dishes of solid gold, and 
soft couches were spread for the guests. 

The Spartan supper, on the contrary, was of the plain- 
est description, and was served in ordinary earthenware. 
Pausanias called his officers and men, and, after pointing 
out the difference between the Spartan and the Persian 
style of living, he showed how much he liked plain food 
by eating his usual supper. 

To reward Pausanias for his bravery and for defeat- 
ing the enemy, the Greeks gave him a part of all that 
was best in the spoil. Next they set aside one tenth 
of it for Apollo, and sent it to his priests at Delphi as 
a token of gratitude for the favor of the god. 

To show that they were grateful also to Zeus and 
Poseidon, — the gods who, they thought, had helped 
them to win their battles by land and by sea, — they 
sent statues to Olympia and Corinth ; and they erected 
a temple in honor of Athene, the goddess of defensive 
war, on the battlefield of Plataea. 



<x>>©=;o« 

LIV. THE REBUILDING OF ATHENS. 

THE Persians had been driven out of Greece, and 
the war with them was now carried on in Asia 
Minor instead of nearer home. The Greek army won 



137 

many battles here also, and even managed to free the 
city of Miletus from the Persian yoke. 

These triumphs encouraged all the Ionian cities, and 
they soon formed a league with the other Greeks, prom- 
ising to help them against the Persians should the war 
ever be renewed. As soon as this alliance was made, 
the Greek fleet returned home, bringing back to Athens 
as a trophy the chains with which Xerxes had pretended 
to bind the rebellious sea. 

In the mean while the Athenians, who had taken ref- 
uge on the Peloponnesus, had returned to their native 
city, where, alas ! they found their houses and temples in 
ruins. The desolation was great; yet the people were 
so thankful to return, that they prepared to rebuild the 
town. 

They were greatly encouraged in this purpose by an 
event which seemed to them a good omen. Near the 
temple of the patron goddess of Athens stood a sacred 
olive tree, supposed to have been created by her at the 
time when the city received her name. 

This place had been burned by the invaders, and the 
returning Athenians sorrowfully gazed upon the black- 
ened trunk of the sacred tree. Imagine their delight, 
therefore, when a new shoot suddenly sprang up from 
the ashes, and put forth leaves with marvelous speed. 

The people all cried that the goddess had sent them 
this sign of her continued favor to encourage them to 
rebuild the city, and they worked with such energy that 
they were soon provided with new homes. 

As soon as the Athenians had secured shelter for 
their families, they began to restore the mighty walls 



138 

which had been the pride of their city. When the Spar- 
tans heard of this, they jealously objected, for they 
were afraid that Athens' would become more powerful 
than Sparta. 

Of course, they did not want to own that they were 
influenced by so mean a feeling as jealousy, so they 
tried to find a pretext to hinder the work. This was 
soon found, and Spartan messengers came and told the 
Athenians that they should not fortify the town, lest it 
should fall again into the hands of the enemy, and 
serve them as a stronghold. 

Themistocles suspected the real cause of these objec- 
tions, and made up his mind to use all his talents to 
help his fellow-citizens. He therefore secretly assembled 
the most able men, and told them to go on with the 
work as fast as possible, while he went to Sparta to 
talk over the matter with the Lacedaemonians. 

When he arrived at Sparta, he artfully prolonged the 
discussions until the walls were built high enough to be 
defended. Of course, there was now nothing to be done ; 
but the Spartans were very angry, and waited anxiously 
for an opportunity to punish the Athenians. This came 
after a time, as you will see in the following chapters. 



D^KOO- 



LV. DEATH OF PAUSANIAS. 

PAUSANIAS, the Spartan king, was very proud of 
the great victory he had won over the Persians at 
Plataea, and of the praise and booty he had received. 



139 

He was so proud of it, that he soon became unbearable, 
and even wanted to become ruler of all Greece. 

Although he had at first pretended to despise the 
luxury which he had seen in the tent of Mardonius, he 
soon began to put on the Persian dress and to copy 
their manners, and demanded much homage from his 
subjects. This greatly displeased the simple Greeks, and 
he soon saw that they would not help him to become 
sole king. 

In his ambition to rule alone, he entirely forgot all 
that was right, and, turning traitor, secretly offered to 
help the Persians if they would promise to make him 
king over all Greece. 

This base plot was found out by the ephors, the offi- 
cers whose duty it was to watch the kings, and they 
ordered his own guards to seize him. Before this order 
could be carried out, however, Pausanias fled, and took 
refuge in a neighboring temple, where, of course, no one 
could lay violent hands upon him. 

As the ephors feared he might even yet escape to 
Persia, and carry out his wicked plans, they ordered that 
the doors and windows of the temple should all be 
walled up. 

It is said that as soon as this command had been 
given, Pausanias' mother brought the first stone, saying 
she preferred that her son should die, rather than live 
to be a traitor. 

Thus walled in, Pausanias slowly starved to death, 
and the barriers were torn down only just in time to 
allow him to be carried out, and breathe his last in 
the open air. The Spartans would not let him die 



140 

> 

in the temple, because they thought his dying breath 
would offend the gods. 

As Themistocles had been a great friend of Pausa- 
nias, he was accused of sharing his plans. The Athe- 
nians therefore rose up against him in anger, ostracized 
him, and drove him out of the country to end his life in 
exile. 

After wandering aimlessly about for some time, The- 
mistocles finally went to the court of Ar-tax-erx'es, the 
son and successor of Xerxes. 

The Persian monarch, we are told, welcomed him 
warmly, gave him a Persian wife, and set aside three 
cities to supply him with bread, meat, and wine. The- 
mistocles soon grew very rich, and lived on the fat of 
the land ; and a traveler said that he once exclaimed, 
" How much we should have lost, my children and I, 
had we not been ruined by the Athenians ! " 

Artaxerxes, having thus provided for all Themistocles' 
wants, and helped him to pile up riches, fancied that 
his gratitude would lead him to perform any service the 
king might ask. He therefore sent for Themistocles 
one day, and bade him lead a Persian army against the 
Greeks. 

But, although Themistocles had been exiled from his 
country, he had not fallen low enough to turn traitor. 
He proudly refused to fight ; and it is said that he pre- 
ferred to commit suicide, rather than injure the people 
he had once loved so dearly. 



141 



LVI. CIMON IMPROVES ATHENS. 

AS soon as Themistocles had been banished from 
Athens, Aristides again became the chief man 
of the city, and he was also made the head and leader 
of the allies. He was so upright and just that all were 
ready to honor and obey him, and they gladly let him 
take charge of the money of the state. 

In reward for his services, the Athenians offered him 
a large salary and many rich gifts ; but he refused them 
all, saying that he needed nothing, and could afford to 
serve his country without pay. 

He therefore went on seeing to all the public affairs 
until his death, when it was found that he was so poor 
that there was not enough money left to pay for his 
funeral. The Athenians, touched by his virtues, gave 
him a public burial, held his name in great honor, and 
often regretted that they had once been so ungrateful 
as to banish their greatest citizen, Aristides the Just. 

As Aristides had watched carefully over the money 
of the allied states, and had ruled the Athenians very 
wisely, it is no wonder that Athens had little by little 
risen above Sparta, which had occupied the first place 
ever since the battle of- Thermopylae. 

The Athenians, as long as Aristides lived, showed 
themselves just and liberal; but as soon as he was dead, 
they began to treat their former allies unkindly. The 
money which all the Greek states furnished was now no 
longer used to strengthen the army and navy, as first 
agreed, but was lavishly spent to beautify the city. 



142 



Now, while it was a good thing to make their town 
as fine as possible, it was certainly wrong to use the 
money of others for this purpose, and the Athenians 
were soon punished for their dishonesty. 

Cimon, the son of Miltiades, was made the head of 
the army, and won several victories over the Persians 
in Asia Minor. When he returned to Athens, he 







The Theseum. 



brought back a great deal of spoil, and generously gave 
up all his share to improve the city and strengthen the 
walls. 

It is said that Cimon also enlarged the beautiful gar- 
dens of the A-cad'e-my ; and the citizens, by wandering 
up and down the shady walks, showed that they liked 
this as well as the Lyceum, which, you will remember, 
Pisistratus had given them. 

They also went in crowds to these gardens to hear 



143 

the philosophers, who taught in the cool porticoes or 
stone piazzas built all around them, and there they 
learned many good things. 

Cimon showed his patriotism in still another way by 
persuading the people that the remains of Theseus, their 
ancient king, should rest in the city. Theseus' bones 
were therefore brought from Scyros, the island where 
he had been killed so treacherously, and were buried 
near the center of Athens, where the resting-place of this 
great man was marked by a temple called the The-se'um. 
A building of this name is still standing in the city ; and, 
although somewhat damaged, it is now used as a museum, 
and contains a fine statue of Theseus. 



LVII. THE EARTHQUAKE. 

CIMON, as you have already seen, was very wealthy, 
and as generous as he was rich. Besides spending 
so much for the improvement of the city, he always kept 
an open house. His table was bountifully spread, and he 
gladly received as guests all who chose to walk into his 
home. 

Whenever he went out, he was followed by servants 
who carried full purses, and whose duty it was to help all 
the poor they met. As Cimon knew that many of the 
most deserving poor would have been ashamed to receive 
alms, these men found out their wants, and supplied them 
secretly. 

Now, although Cimon was so good and thoughtful, you 



144 

must not imagine that it was always very easy for him to 
be so. It seems that when he was a young man he was 
very idle and lazy, and never thought of anything but his 
own pleasure. 

Aristides the Just noticed how lazy and selfish the 
young man was, and one day went to see him. After a 
little talk, Aristides told him seriously that he ought to 
be ashamed of the life he was living, as it was quite 
unworthy of a good citizen or of a noble man. 

This reproof was so just, that Cimon promised to do 
better, and tried so hard that he soon became one of the 
most industrious and unselfish men of his day. 

Cimon was not the only rich man in Athens, however ; 
for Per'i-cles, another citizen, was even wealthier than he. 
As Pericles was shrewd, learned, and very eloquent, he 
soon gained much influence over his fellow-citizens. 

While Cimon was generally seen in the company of 
men of his own class, and was hence considered the leader 
of the nobles or aristocrats, Pericles liked to talk with the 
poorer class, whom he could easily sway by his eloquent 
speeches, and who soon made him their idol. 

Day by day the two parties became more distinct, and 
soon the Athenians sided either with Pericles or with 
Cimon in all important matters. The two leaders were 
at first very good friends, but little by little they drifted 
apart, and finally they became rivals. 

About this time an earthquake brought great misfor- 
tunes upon Greece. The whole country shook and 
swayed, and the effects of the earthquake were so dis- 
astrous at Sparta that all the houses and temples were 
destroyed. 



145 

Many of the inhabitants were crushed under the falling 
stones and timbers, and there were only five houses left 
standing. The Spartans were in despair; and the Helots, 
or slaves, who had long been waiting for an opportunity 
to free themselves, fancied that the right time had come. 

They quickly assembled, and decided to kill the Spar- 
tans while they were groping about among the ruined 
dwellings for the remains of their relatives and friends. 

The plan would have succeeded had not the king, 
Ar-chi-da'mus, found it out. Without a moment's delay, 
he rallied all the able-bodied men, and sent a swift mes- 
senger to Athens for aid. 

True to their military training, the Spartans dropped 
everything when the summons reached them ; and the 
Helots came marching along, only to find their former 
masters drawn up in battle array, and as calm as if no 
misfortune had happened. 

This unexpected resistance so frightened the Helots, 
that they hastily withdrew into Messenia. Here they 
easily persuaded the Messenians to join forces with 
them and declare war against the Spartans. 

In the mean while the swift runner sent by Archida- 
mus had reached Athens, and told about the destruction 
of the town and the perilous situation of the people. 
He ended by imploring the Athenians to send immedi- 
ate aid, lest all the Spartans should perish. 

Cimon, who was generous and kind-hearted, imme- 
diately cried out that the Athenians could not refuse to 
help their unhappy neighbors ; but Pericles, who, like 
most of his fellow-citizens, hated the Spartans, advised 
all his friends to stay quietly at home. 

STO. OF GR. — IO 



146 

Much discussion took place over this advice. At 
last, however, Cimon prevailed, and an army was sent 
to help the Spartans. Owing to the hesitation of 
the Athenians, this army came late, and they fought 
with so little spirit that the Lacedaemonians indig- 
nantly said that they might just as well have remained 
at home. 

This insult so enraged the Athenians that they went 
home ; and when it became publicly known how the 
Spartans had treated their army, the people began to 
murmur against Cimon. In their anger, they forgot all 
the good he had done them, and, assembling in the 
market place, they ostracized him. 



>c^^ C 



LVIII. THE AGE OF PERICLES. 

AS soon as Cimon had been banished, Pericles became 
sole leader of the Athenians; and as he governed 
them during a long and prosperous time, this period 
is generally known as the Age of Pericles. 

The Spartans who had so rudely sent away their 
Athenian allies manfully resolved to help themselves, 
and set about it so vigorously that they soon brought 
the Helots back to order, and rebuilt their city. When 
they had settled themselves comfortably, however, they 
remembered the lukewarm help which had been given 
them, and determined to punish the Athenians. ' 

The Persian general was just then planning a new 
invasion of Greece, so the Athenians found themselves 



147 



threatened with a twofold danger. In their distress they 
recalled Cimon, who was an excellent general, and im- 
plored him to take command of their forces. 

Cimon fully justified their confidence, and not only 
won several victories over the Spartans, but compelled 
them at last to agree to a truce 
of five years. This matter set- 
tled, he next attacked the Per- 
sians, whom he soon defeated 
by land and by sea. 

He then forced Artaxerxes, 
the Persian king, to swear a 
solemn oath that he would . 
never again wage war against 
the Athenians, and forbade 
the Persian vessels ever to 
enter the .^Egean Sea. 

These triumphs won, Ci- 
mon died from the wounds 
he had received during the 
war. His death, however, 
was kept secret for a whole 

month, so that the people would have time to get used 
to a new leader, and not be afraid to fight without their 
former general. 

While Cimon was thus successfully battling with the 
enemy abroad, Pericles had managed affairs at home. 
He urged the Athenians to finish their walls; and by his 
advice they built also the Long Walls, which joined the 
city to the Pi-rse'us, a seaport five miles away. 

Pericles also increased the Athenian navy, so that, by 




Pericles. 



148 



the time the five-years' truce was over, he had a fine 
fleet to use in fighting against the Spartans. 

As every victory won by the Athenians had only made 
Sparta more jealous, the war was renewed, and carried 
on with great fury on both sides. The Spartans gained 
the first victories ; but, owing to their better navy, the 
Athenians soon won over all the neighboring cities, and 
got the upper hand of their foes. 




The Acropolis. 



They were about to end the war by a last victory at 
Cor-o-ne'a, when fortune suddenly deserted them, and they 
were so sorely beaten that they were very glad to agree 
to a truce and return home. 

By the treaty then signed, the Athenians bound them- 
selves to keep the peace during a term of thirty years. 



149 

In exchange, the Spartans allowed them to retain the 
cities which they had conquered, and the leadership of 
one of the confederacies formed by the Greek states, 
reserving the head of the other for themselves. 

During these thirty years of peace, Pericles was very 
busy, and his efforts were directed for the most part 
toward the improvement of Athens. By his advice a 
magnificent temple, the Par'the-non, was built on top of 
the Acropolis, in honor of Athene. 

This temple, one of the wonders of the world, was 
decorated with beautiful carvings by Phidias, and all the 
rich Athenians went to see them as soon as they were 
finished. This sculptor also made a magnificent gold and 
jyory statue of the goddess, to stand in the midst of the 
Parthenon. But in spite of all his talent, Phidias had 
many enemies. After a while they wrongfully accused 
him of stealing part of the gold intrusted to him. Phidias 
vainly tried to defend himself ; but they would not listen 
to him, and put him in prison, where he died. 

Between the temple of Athene and the city there was 
a seriefs of steps and beautiful porticoes, decorated with 
paintings and sculptures, which have never been sur- 
passed. 

Many other beautiful buildings were erected under the 
rule off Pericles ; and the beauty and art loving Athenians 
coul^f soon boast that their city was the finest in the 
world. Artists from all parts of the country thronged 
thither in search of work, and all were well received 
by Pericles* 



i5i 



LIX. THE TEACHINGS OF ANAXAGORAS. 

AS Pericles was a very cultivated man, he liked to meet 
and talk with the philosophers, and to befriend the 
artists. He was greatly attached to the sculptor Phidias, 
and he therefore did all in his power to save him from 
the envy of his fellow-citizens. 

An-ax-ag'o-ras, a philosopher of great renown, was the 
friend and teacher of Pericles. He, too, won the dislike 
of the people ; and, as they could not accuse him also 
of stealing, they charged him with publicly teaching 
that the gods they worshiped were not true gods, and 
proposed to put him to death for this crime. 

Now, Anaxagoras had never heard of the true God, the 
God whom we worship. He had heard only of Zeus, 
Athene, and the other gods honored by his people; but 
he was so wise and so thoughtful that he believed the 
world could never have been created by such divinities 
as those. 

He observed all he saw very attentively, and shocked 
the people greatly by saying that the sun was not a 
god driving in a golden chariot, but a great glowing 
rock, which, in spite of its seemingly small size, he 
thought must be about as large as the Peloponnesus. 

Of course, this seems very strange to you. But Anax- 
agoras lived more than two thousand years ago, and since 
then people have constantly been finding out new things 
and writing them in books, so it is no wonder that in 
this matter you are already, perhaps, wiser than he. 
When you come to study about the sun, you will find 



152 

that Anaxagoras was partly right, but that, instead of 
being only as large as the Peloponnesus, the sun is more 
than a million times larger than the whtle earth ! 

Anaxagoras also tried to explain that the moon was 
probably very much like the earth, with mountains, 
plains, and seas. These things, which they could not 
understand, made the Athenians so angry that they 
exiled the philosopher, in spite of all Pericles could say. 

Anaxagoras went away without making 'any fuss, and 
withdrew to a distant city, where he continued his studies 
as before. Many people regretted his absence, and missed 
his wise conversation, but none so much as Pericles, 
who never forgot him, and who gave him money enough 
to keep him in comfort. 

Another great friend of Pericles was a woman called 
As-pa'sia. She was so bright that the wisest men of 
Athens used to go to her house merely for the pleasure 
of talking to her. All the best-informed people in town 
used to assemble there ; and Cimon and Pericles, Phidias, 
Anaxagoras, and Soc'ra-tes were among her chosen 
friends. 



-<K)^0«- 



LX. BEGINNING OF THE PELOPONNESIAN 

WAR. 

THE end of Pericles' long and useful life was troubled 
by a new war between Athens and Sparta ; for, as 
soon as the thirty-years' truce was ended, both cities flew 
to arms. The war which then began, and which in history 



153 

is known as the Peloponnesian War, lasted almost as long 
as the truce; that is to say, for nearly thirty years. 

Pericles knew very well that the Athenians, not being 
so well trained, were no match for the Spartans on land. 
He therefore advised all the people to come into the city, 
and take refuge behind the mighty walls, while the fleet 
carried on the war by sea. 

This advice was followed. All the farmers left their 
fields, and crowded into Athens. When the Spartans 
came into Attica, they found the farms and villages de- 
serted ; but from the top of the Acropolis the people 
could see the enemy burn down their empty dwellings and 
destroy the harvests in their fields. 

In the mean while the Athenian fleet had sailed out 
of the Hraeus, and had gone down into the Peloponnesus, 
where the troops landed from time to time, striking ter- 
ror into the hearts of the inhabitants, and causing much 
damage. 

The Spartans also had a fleet ; but it was so much 
smaller than that of the Athenians, that it could not offer 
any very great resistance. Still the time came when a 
battle was to take place between the vessels of the two 
cities. 

It happened on a day when there was to be an 
eclipse of the sun. Now, you know that this is a very 
simple and natural thing. An eclipse of the sun is a 
darkening of its surface, which occurs whenever the 
moon passes between it and the earth. 

As the moon is a very large and solid body, we 
cannot see either through or around it, and for a few 
minutes while it is directly between us and the sun it 



154 

entirely hides the latter from our sight. Pericles, who 
had so often talked with Anaxagoras and the other 
learned men of his day, knew what an eclipse was, and 
had even been told that one would soon take place. 
He was therefore quite ready for it, warned his soldiers 
that it was coming, and illustrated his meaning by 
flinging his cloak over the head of his pilot. 

" Can you see the sun now ? " he asked. — " Why, no ! 
master, of course not ! " replied the man. " Your thick 
cloak is between me and the sun ; how could I see 
through it?" — "Well, neither can you see through the 
moon, then," replied Pericles. 

His men, thus warned, showed no fear of the eclipse; 
but the Spartans, who did not trouble themselves greatly 
with learning, were terrified. They imagined that the 
darkening of the sun at midday was the sign of some 
coming misfortune, and hardly dared to fight against 
the Athenians. 

Thanks to this superstitious fear, Pericles laid waste 
the fields of the Peloponnesus, and came back to Athens 
in triumph; for, although much damage had been done 
to the enemy, the Athenians had lost only a <few men. 
These were buried with great honors. Pericles himself 
pronounced their funeral oration ; and we are told that 
he was so eloquent that all his hearers were melted to 
tears. 



155 



LXI. DEATH OF PERICLES. 

ALTHOUGH the Athenian fleet had caused much 
damage, and had come home victorious, the Spartan 
army was still in Attica. The Spartans had been awed 
and frightened by the eclipse, but they did not give 
up their purpose, and continued the war. 

The Athenians remained within the city walls, not dar- 
ing to venture out lest they should meet with a defeat, 
and they soon began to suffer greatly. As there were 
not enough water and food for the crowded multitude, 
a terrible disease called the plague soon attacked the 
people. This sickness was contagious, and it spread 
rapidly. On all sides one could see the dead and dying. 
The sufferers were tormented by a burning thirst ; and 
as there was soon no one left to care for the sick, 
they painfully dragged themselves to the sides of the 
fountains, where many of them died. 

Not only were the sick uncared for, but it was also 
nearly impossible to dispose of the dead ; and the bodies 
lay in the streets day after day, waiting for burial. 

When the Athenians were in the greatest distress, 
Pericles heard that there was a Greek doctor, named 
Hip-poc'ra-tes, who had a cure for the plague; and 
he wrote to him, imploring his help. 

Hippocrates received Pericles' letter at the same time 
that a message arrived from Artaxerxes, King of Persia. 
The king asked him to come and save the Persians, who 
were suffering from the same disease, and offered the 
doctor great wealth. 



1 56 

The noble doctor did not hesitate a moment, but sent 
away the Persian messenger, saying that it was his duty 
first to save his own countrymen. Then he immediately 
set out for the plague-stricken city of Athens, where he 
worked bravely night and day. 

His care and skill restored many sufferers ; and, 
although thousands died of the plague, the remaining 
Athenians knew that they owed him their lives. When 
the danger was over, they all voted that Hippocrates 
should have a golden crown, and said he should be 
called an Athenian citizen, — an honor which they seldom 
granted to any outsider. 

The plague had not only carried away many of the 
poorer citizens, but had also stricken down the nobles 
and the rich. Pericles' family suffered from it too. All 
his children took it and died, with the exception of 
one. 

The great man, in spite of his private cares and sor- 
rows, was always in and out among the people, helping 
and encouraging them, and he finally caught the plague 
himself. 

His friends soon saw, that, in spite of all their efforts, 
he would die. They crowded around his bed in tears, 
praising him in low tones, and saying how much he had 
done for the Athenians and for the improvement of 
their city. 

"Why," said one of them warmly, " he found the 
city bricks, and leaves it marble!" 

Pericles, whose eyes had been closed, and who seemed 
unconscious, now suddenly roused himself, and said, 
" Why do you mention those things ? They were mostly 



i57 

owing to my large fortune. The thing of which I am 
proudest is that I never caused any fellow-citizen to put 
on mourning ! " 

Pericles then sank back, and soon died; but his friends 
always remembered that he had ruled Athens for .more 
than thirty years without ever punishing any one un- 
justly, and that he had always proved helpful and 
merciful to all. 



-ooXXo-o- 



LXII. THE PHILOSOPHER SOCRATES. 

WHEN Pericles died, the Peloponnesian War had 
already been carried on for more than three 
years, but was not nearly at an end. As the Athenians 
felt the need of a leader, they soon chose Nic'ias to 
take the place left vacant by Pericles. 

This Nicias was an honest man ; but he was unfortu- 
nately rather dull, and very slow about deciding any- 
thing. Whenever he was called upon to see to matters 
of state, he hesitated so long, and was so uncertain, 
that the Greeks often had cause to regret the loss of 
Pericles. 

There was another man of note in Athens at this time, 
the philosopher Socrates, a truly wise and good man. 
He was no politician, however; and, instead of troubling 
himself about the state, he spent all his spare moments 
in studying, or in teaching the young men of Athens. 

Like his friend Anaxagoras, Socrates was a very deep 
thinker. He, too, always tried to find out the exact truth 
about everything. He was specially anxious to know how 



iS8 



the earth had been created, who the Being was who gave 
us life, and whether the soul died with the body, or con- 
tinued to live after the body had fallen into dust. 

Socrates was a poor man, a stonecutter by trade ; 
but he spent every moment he could spare from his 
work in thinking, studying, and questioning others. 
Little by little, in spite of the con- 
trary opinion of his fellow-citizens, 
he began to understand that the 
stories of the Greek gods and 
goddesses could not be true. 

He thought that there must 
surely be a God far greater than 
they, — a God who was good and 
powerful and just, who governed 
the world he had created, and 
who rewarded the virtuous and 
punished the wicked. 

Socrates believed that every- 
body should be as good and gen- 
tle as possible, and freely forgive 
all injuries. This belief was very 
different from that of all ancient nations, who, on the 
contrary, thought that they should try to avenge every 
insult, and return evil for evil. 

The philosopher Socrates not only taught this gentle- 
ness, but practiced it carefully at home and abroad. 
He had plenty of opportunity to make use of it ; for 
he had such a cross wife, that her name, Xan-thip'pe, 
is still used to describe a scolding and bad-tempered 




Socrates. 



woman. 



159 

Whenever Xanthippe was angry, she used to scold 
poor Socrates roundly. He always listened without fly- 
ing into a passion, or even answering her; and when 
her temper was too unbearable, he quietly left the house, 
and went about his business elsewhere. 

This gentleness and meekness only angered Xanthippe 
the more ; and one day, when he was escaping as usual, 
she caught up a jug full of water and poured it over his 
head. 

Socrates good-naturedly shook off the water, smiled, 
and merely remarked to his companions, " After the 
thunder comes the rain." 



LXIII. SOCRATES' FAVORITE PUPIL. 

AS you have already heard, Socrates was a teacher. 
He did not, however, have a school like yours, 
with desks, and books, and maps, and blackboards. 
His pupils gathered about him at his workshop, or 
in the cool porticoes, or under the trees in the garden 
of the Academy. 

Then, while hammering his stone, or while slowly 
pacing up and down, the philosopher talked to his 
scholars so gently and wisely, that even the richest 
and noblest youths of Athens were proud to call him 
their teacher. He also visited the house of the noted 
Aspasia, and was a friend of Pericles, Phidias, and 
Anaxagoras, besides being the teacher of three very 
celebrated men, — Pla'to, Xen'o-phon, and Al-ci-bi'a-des. 




Q 



-a 

< 



i6r 



Plato and Xenophon, even in their youth, were noted 
for their coolness and right-mindedness ; but Alcibiades, 
a general favorite, was very different from them both. 
He was an orphan, and the ward of Pericles. His 
father had left him a large fortune ; and, as Alcibiades 
was handsome, intelligent, and very high-spirited, he was 
made much of and greatly spoiled. 

Even as a little child he was very headstrong, and, as 
he had no father and mother to check him, he was often 
led by his willfulness into great danger. We are told 
that once, when he saw a wagon coming down the street 
where he and his playmates were playing, he called to 
the man to stop. The man, who cared nothing for their 
game, drove on, and the other children quickly sprang 
aside so as not to be run over. Alcibiades, however, flung 
himself down across the road, in front of his playthings, 
and dared the driver to come on. 

This was of course very foolish ; and if the driver had 
given him a few sharp cuts with his whip, it might have 
done Alcibiades a great deal of good. But the man was 
so amused by the little fellow's pluck, that he actually 
turned around and drove through another street. 

When Alcibiades grew a little older, he went to listen 
to the teachings of Socrates. In the presence of this 
wise man, Alcibiades forgot all his vanity and willfulness, 
talked sensibly, and showed himself well informed and 
kind-hearted. 

He seemed so earnest and simple that Socrates soon 
grew very fond of him. They often walked together on 
the street ; and it must have been pleasing to see this 
tall, handsome, and aristocratic youth, eagerly listening to 

STO. OF GR. — II 



1 62 



the wise words of the homely, toil-worn workman beside 
him. 

Unfortunately, however, Alcibiades could not pass all 
his time with the good philosopher, and when he left him 
it was to spend the rest of the day with his own class. 
As he was rich, generous, and handsome, his companions 
always flattered him, approved of all he did, and admired 
everything he said. 

This constant flattery was very bad for the young man ; 
and, as he was anxious to please everybody, it often led 
him to do foolish things. He gave costly banquets, drove 
fast horses, boasted a great deal, and even started out for 
his first battle in a magnificent suit of armor all inlaid 
with gold. 

His shield was also inlaid with gold and ivory, and on 
it was a picture of Cu'pid throwing the thunderbolts of 
Jove (Zeus). All his flatterers, instead of telling him 
frankly that such armor was ridiculous, admired him 
greatly, and vowed that he looked like the god of the sun. 

In the midst of the battle, Alcibiades, who was very 
brave, rushed into the thick of the foe. His armor was 
not as strong as a plainer suit would have been; and he 
soon "found himself hemmed round, and almost ready to 
fall. His fine friends had of course deserted the lad ; 
but, fortunately for him, Socrates was there. The philos- 
opher rushed into the midst of the fray, caught up the 
young man in his strong arms, and bore him off the 
battlefield to a place of safety, where he tenderly bound 
up his wounds. 

As Alcibiades was a good-hearted youth, he felt deeply 
grateful to Socrates for saving his life, and ever after 



163 

proudly claimed him as a friend. In spite of the phi- 
losopher's advice, however, the young man continued to 
frequent the same society ; and, as he was genial and 
open-handed with all, he daily grew more popular. 



-o-o^cjoo- 



LXIV. YOUTH OF ALCIBIADES. 

AS the Greeks all loved the Olympic games, Alci- 
biades was always seen there. He took part in 
the chariot races especially ; and his horses won three 
prizes in succession, to the delight of his admirers. 

Alcibiades was shrewd enough, in spite of all his 
vanity, to understand that the people of Athens loved 
him principally because he was handsome and rich. 
He also knew that they delighted in gossip, and he 
sometimes did a thing merely to hear them talk about it. 

He had a very handsome dog, for instance ; and for 
a little while its beauty was praised by every one. But 
the Athenians soon grew used to the animal, and ceased 
to talk about it. Then Alcibiades had the dog's tail 
cut off, and of course every one began to exclaim about 
that. 

Some of the Athenians became so inquisitive that 
they asked why he had done so, and he laughingly 
answered that it was merely in order to supply them 
with material for conversation and wonder. 

Alcibiades was so merry and light-hearted that he 
treated even serious matters in a joking way. We are 
told, that, when he was first admitted to the city coun- 



164 

cil, he acted like a schoolboy, and mischievously let 
loose a captive quail, which ran in and out among the 
feet of the councilors, and fluttered about so wildly as 
to upset the gravity of the whole assembly. 

On another occasion the councilors were all waiting 
for Alcibiades to begin their proceedings. He entered 
the hall with a crown of flowers on his head ; begged 
them to excuse him, because he could really not attend 
to business, as he had a banquet at his house ; and asked 
them to adjourn and go home with him. 

Strange to relate, his manner was so fascinating that 
the grave councilors did as he wished, and dropped 
their important business to feast with him. It was on 
account of this influence that an Athenian citizen once 
bitterly exclaimed, " Go on, my brave boy ! Your pros- 
perity will bring ruin on this crowd." 

Alcibiades was such a favorite among rich and poor, 
that the Athenians would gladly have made him king. 
Fortunately, however, the young man still had sense 
enough to refuse this honor; but, although he would 
not accept the title, he exercised much of the power of 
a king, and soon he and Nicias were the principal poli- 
ticians of the day. 

Alcibiades was as ambitious as Nicias was careful ; 
and while the latter was always trying to keep the 
Athenians as quiet and contented as possible, Alcibiades 
was always ready to think of some plan by which the 
power of the city could be extended. 

This ambition of Alcibiades was destined to have a 
very bad effect upon his own fortunes and upon those of 
his native land, as you will see by the end of his career 



i6 5 



LXV. GREEK COLONIES IN ITALY. 

THE Greeks, as you know, had founded colonies all 
along the coast of Asia Minor and on many of the 
islands. They had also sailed as far as Italy and Sicily, 
where they built many towns. 

Little by little these colonies grew richer and stronger. 
As the Greek settlers increased in number, they claimed 
more and more land. In Sicily and southern Italy the 
soil was so fertile that the people soon grew very rich ; 
and, as they had vessels in plenty, they traded every- 
where, and became noted for their commercial enterprise. 

The first of the Greek colonies in southern Italy was 
the cky of Syb'a-ris. It was so prosperous that the 
people had more money than they knew what to do 
with ; and they spent large sums in making their houses 
beautiful and in securing every comfort. 

The Syb'a-rites soon became so luxurious in their 
habits, that they were noted all over the country for 
their love of ease. We are told that one Sybarite, for 
instance, once ordered his slaves to prepare a couch for 
him of fresh rose leaves. 

When it was ready, he stretched himself out upon it 
and slept. In a short time he awoke with cries of 
great distress, saying that he could not sleep because a 
rose leaf was crumpled under him, and chafed his tender 
skin. 

Ever since then, when people make a great fuss 
about a trifle, they are apt to hear the remark, " 'Tis 
the crumpled rose leaf ! " and when they spend too 



166 



much thought upon their bodily comfort, and indulge 
in too much luxury, they are called Sybarites. 

The people of this town continued to flourish for 
some time, but they finally quarreled with the neigh- 
boring colony of Croton. A war followed, in which 
the ease-loving Sybarites were defeated and their city 
was destroyed. 

Croton and Ta-ren'tum on the mainland, and Messina 
and Syr'a-cuse on the Island of Sicily, were now the 
principal colonies. They were all very rich and pros- 
perous, so Alcibiades told the Athenians that it would 
be a good plan to send out a fleet to conquer and 
annex them. 

Nicias and his party opposed this plan ; but when it 
was put to the vote, it was found that the eloquence of 
Alcibiades had prevailed. A large fleet was prepared, 
and Nicias, Lam'a-chus, and Alcibiades were chosen 
generals of the expedition. The fleet was- on the point 
of sailing out of the Piraeus, when the Athenians found 
out that all the statues. of their god Her'mes, which 
were used as boundary marks and milestones, had been 
shamefully broken. 

The excited people assembled on the market place to 
discuss this event ; and all cried loudly against it, for 
the statues were considered sacred, as they represented 
a god. Alcibiades' enemies — and he had a number, 
although he was so popular — now stepped forward, 
and declared that he had done it after the banquet 
which he had given to celebrate his departure. 

The young man denied having broken the statues, 
and asked that his trial might take place at once, so 



1 67 

that he might prove his innocence before he started 
out; but, in spite of this urgent request, it was post- 
poned, and he was forced to depart with this cloud 
hanging over him. 



^3^00- 



LXVI. ALCIBIADES IN DISGRACE. 

ALCIBIADES had no sooner sailed, however, than 
his enemies, grown bolder, began to talk louder, 
and soon convinced the people of his guilt. In their 
wrath, the Athenians now sent a messenger to Sicily to 
overtake him, and bid him return to Athens to be 
tried. 

His friends, seeing the excitement of the people, and 
fearing that they would condemn him in anger, sent 
word to him not to return, but to wait until the popular 
fury had had time to blow over. 

In obedience to this advice, Alcibiades left the fleet, 
and, instead of going to Athens, went straight to 
Sparta, where he took up his abode. Here the change- 
able youth adopted the Spartan dress, lived with the 
utmost simplicity and frugality, and even used the laconic 
mode of speech. 

As he was tall and strong, and a very good athlete, 
he soon won the admiration of the Spartans, and made 
many friends. During his stay here, he heard that he 
had been tried at Athens, although absent, found guilty 
of sacrilege, and even sentenced to death. 

This ingratitude on the part of his people so angered 



1 68 



Alcibiades, that he told the Spartans all the Athe- 
nian plans, and showed how to upset them. By his 
advice, the Spartans sent aid to the Greeks in Sicily, 
helped them to resist the Athenian attack, and even 
captured both generals and seven thousand soldiers, who 
were put to death. 

The Spartans, still under Alcibiades' instructions, now 
took and fortified the small town of Dec-e-le'a, only twelve 
miles from Athens. Here they kept an armed force, 
ready to spring out at any minute and molest the Athe- 
nians, who thus found themselves 
in a continual state of warfare 
and insecurity. 

The small cities and islands 
which the Athenians had 
won by force now seized this 
favorable opportunity to re- 
volt ; and the Persians, at 
Alcibiades' invitation, joined 
them, and again began to 
wage war with the proud 
city. 

The Athenians were almost 
in despair. They had enemies on all sides, and were 
also worried by the quarrels of aristocrats and demo- 
crats within the city. These two political parties were 
now so opposed to each other, that nothing could make 
them friends. 

The army, longing for action, and without a leader, 
finally took matters into their own hands. They re- 
called Alcibiades, and asked him to help them. The 




Alcibiades. 



169 

young man, who was generous and kind-hearted, im- 
mediately responded to this appeal ; and, now that it was 
too late, he repented of what he had done, and began 
to do all in his power to defeat the enemy he had 
aroused. 

By his eloquence and skill, Alcibiades finally succeeded 
in winning the Persians over to side with the Athe- 
nians, and to fight against the Spartans ; but all his 
efforts to make up for the past were vain. His treachery 
had ruined Athens ; and when he led the troops against 
the Spartans, the Athenians were completely defeated. 

— 0-0^0^00 — 



LXVII. DEATH OF ALCIBIADES. 

AFRAID to return to his native city, where he knew 
the people would blame him for their sufferings, 
Alcibiades fled. After roaming about for some time, 
he took refuge in a castle which he had built on the 
Cher-so-ne'sus. 

From the height upon which the castle stood, Alcibi- 
ades could overlook the sea on both sides ; and he 
watched the Spartan and Athenian fleets, which, un- 
known to each other, had come to anchor very near him. 
He soon discovered that the Spartans had become aware 
of the presence of the Athenians, and were preparing 
to surprise them. 

He therefore left his castle, and, at the risk of his 
life, went down to warn the Athenians of the coming 
danger. They, however, treated his warning with scorn, 



170 

and bade him return to his castle, and remember that he 
no longer had any right to interfere in their affairs. 

From the top of his promontory, Alcibiades saw the 
complete destruction of the Athenian fleet. Only a few- 
men managed to escape to his castle for shelter; while 
a single ship sailed in haste to Athens, to report the 
defeat, and warn the people of the coming danger. 

A few days later the victorious Spartan army marched 
unchallenged into Athens, for there were now no fighting 
men left to oppose them. The Spartans said that Athens 
must now obey them in all things ; and, to humiliate the 
people, they tore down the Long Walls to the sound of 
joyful music on the anniversary of the glorious victory 
of Salamis. 

Thus ended the Peloponnesian War, which, as you 
have seen, began shortly before the death of Pericles. 
From this time on, the fame of Athens was due mostly 
to her literature and art. 

By order of the Spartans, Solon's laws were set aside, 
and thirty men were chosen to govern the city. These 
rulers proved so stern and cruel, that they were soon 
known as the Thirty Tyrants, and were hated by every 
one. 

The Athenians suffered so sorely under the government 
which the Spartans had thus forced upon them, that they 
soon began to long for the return of Alcibiades, who, 
whatever his faults, was always generous. 

When the Thirty Tyrants and the Spartans learned of 
this feeling, they were afraid that the Athenians would 
summon Alcibiades, so they bribed the Persian governor 
to put him to death. 



171 

A party of murderers went to his house at night, 
and set it afire. Alcibiades, waking up suddenly, tried to 
escape with his household; but no sooner had he reached 
the door than he found himself surrounded by enemies. 

Alcibiades quickly wrapped his cloak around his left 
arm to serve as a shield, and, seizing his sword in his 
right hand, rushed manfully out upon his foes. The 
Persians, frightened at his approach, fled in haste ; but 
they came to a stop at a safe distance, and flung so 
many stones and spears at him that he soon fell dead 
from the blows. 

His body was left where it had fallen, and was found 
by his wife, who loved him dearly in spite of all his 
faults. She tenderly wrapped it up in her own mantle, 
and had it buried not far from where it lay. 

Thus ended the life of the brilliant Alcibiades, who 
died at the age of forty, far away from his native land, 
and from the people -whose idol he had once been, but 
whom he had ruined by his vanity. 



ooJOio* 

LXVIII. THE OVERTHROW OF THE THIRTY 

TYRANTS. 

ALTHOUGH the Thirty Tyrants ruled in Athens but 
a short time, they condemned fifteen hundred men to 
death, and drove many good citizens into exile. During 
their brief period of authority they even found fault with 
Socrates, and would have liked to kill him, though he 
was the greatest philosopher the world has ever known. 



172 

As the rule of the Thirty Tyrants had been forced 
upon them by the victorious Spartans, the Athenians 
soon resolved to get rid of them. Among the good 
citizens whom these cruel rulers had driven away into 
exile, was Thras-y-bu'lus, who was a real patriot. 

He had seen the sufferings of the Athenians, and 
his sympathy had been roused. So he began plotting 
against the Thirty Tyrants, assembled a few brave men, 
entered the city, drove out the Spartans, and overturned 
their government when they least expected it. 

Some years later the Athenians rebuilt the Long Walls, 
which Ly-san'der, the Spartan general, had torn down to 
the sound of festive music. They were so glad to be 
rid of the cruel tyrants, that they erected statues in 
honor of Thrasybulus, their deliverer, and sang songs 
in his praise at all their public festivals. 

The Spartans, in the mean while, had been changing 
rapidly for the worse ; for the defeat of the Athenians 
had filled their hearts with pride, and had made them 
fancy they were the bravest and greatest people on 
earth. Such conceit is always harmful. 

Lysander, in capturing Athens and the smaller towns 
of Attica, had won much booty, which was all sent to 
Sparta. The ephors refused at first to accept or dis- 
tribute this gold, saying that the love of wealth was the 
root of all evil ; but they finally decided to use it for 
the improvement of their city. 

Lysander himself was as noble a man as he was a 
good general, and kept none of the booty for his own use. 
On the contrary, he came back to Sparta so poor, that, 
when he died, the city had to pay his funeral expenses. 



173 

The Spartans felt so grateful for the services which 
he had rendered them, that they not only gave him 
a fine burial, but also gave marriage portions to his 
daughters, and helped them to get good husbands. 



>&« 



LXIX. ACCUSATION OF SOCRATES. 

SOCRATES, as you know, was one of the best and 
gentlest of men, yet he had many enemies. These 
were principally the people who were jealous of him 
and of his renown for great wisdom ; for his reputation 
was so well established, that the oracle at Delphi, when 
consulted, replied that the most learned man in Greece 
was Socrates. 

Although Socrates was so wise and good and gentle, 
he was not at all conceited, and showed his wisdom by 
never pretending to know what he did not know, and 
by his readiness to learn anything new, provided one 
could prove it to be true. 

Among the noted Athenians of this time was Aris- 
tophanes, a writer of comedies or funny plays. He was 
so witty that his comedies are still admired almost as 
much as when they were played in the Theater of 
Dionysus for the amusement of the people. 

Like most funny men, Aristophanes liked to turn 
everything into ridicule. He had often seen Socrates 
and Alcibiades walking through the streets of Athens, 
and was greatly amused at the contrast they presented. 



174 

Now, Aristophanes, with all his cleverness, was not 
always just ; and while his ridicule sometimes did good, 
at other times it did a great deal of harm. He soon 
learned to dislike Alcibiades ; but he saw how dearly the 
people loved the young man, and fancied that his faults 
must be owing to the bad advice of his teacher. Such 
was not the case, for Socrates had tried to bring out all 
the good in his pupil. Alcibiades' pride, insolence, and 
treachery were rather the result of the constant flattery 
to which he had been exposed on the part of those who 
claimed to be his friends. 

Aristophanes disliked Alcibiades so much that he soon 
wrote a comedy called "The Clouds," in which he made 
fun of him. Of course, he did not call the people in 
the play by their real names ; but the hero was a good- 
for-nothing young man, who, advised by his teacher, 
bought fast horses, ran his father into debt, cheated 
everybody, and treated even the gods with disrespect. 

As the actors who took part in this comedy dressed and 
acted as nearly as possible like Alcibiades and Socrates, 
you can imagine that the play, which was very comical 
and clever, made the Athenians roar with laughter. 

Everybody talked about it, repeated the best jokes, 
and went again and again to see and laugh over it. 
We are told that Socrates went there himself one day ; 
and, when asked why he had come, he quietly said, " I 
came to find out whether, among all the faults of which 
I am accused, there may not be some that I can correct." 

You see, the philosopher knew that it was never too 
late to mend, and fully intended to be as perfect as 
possible. He knew, of course, that he could not straighten 



175 

his crooked nose or make his face good-looking, but he 
hoped to find some way of improving his character. 

"The Clouds" amused the Athenians for about twenty 
years ; and when Alcibiades turned traitor, and caused 
the ruin of his country, the people still went to see it. 
In their anger against Alcibiades, they began to think 
that perhaps Aristophanes was right, and that the youth 
they had once loved so dearly would never have turned 
out so badly had he not been influenced for evil. 

As the teacher in the play was blamed for all the 
wrongdoing of his pupil, so Socrates was now accused 
by the Athenians of ruining Alcibiades. Little by little 
the philosopher's enemies became so bold that they 
finally made up their minds to get rid of him. As he 
was quite innocent, and as there was no other excuse 
for dragging him before the Tribunal, they finally charged 
him with giving bad advice to young men, and speaking 
ill of the gods. 



"OO^OO- 



LXX. DEATH OF SOCRATES. 

THE false accusation made against Socrates by his 
enemies soon had the desired effect, for the Tri- 
bunal gave orders for his arrest and trial. The philoso- 
pher, sure of his innocence, came before his judges, and 
calmly answered their questions. 

He told them he had never turned the gods into ridi- 
cule, as he knew it was wrong to make fun of anything 
which others deemed sacred. Then, as they still further 



176 

pressed him to explain his views, he confessed that he 
believed there was a God greater and better than any 
they worshiped. 

As to teaching the young men anything which could 
do them harm, he said it was quite impossible ; for he 
had ever told them that they should be as good, virtu- 
ous, and helpful as they could, which was surely not 
wrong. 

Socrates gave noble answers to all their questions ; but 
the judges, blinded with prejudice, believed the lying 
charges of his enemies, which Socrates scorned to con- 
tradict. The philosopher's friends begged him to use his 
eloquence to defend himself and confound his accusers ; 
but he calmly refused, saying, " My whole life and teach- 
ing is the only contradiction, and the best defense I can 
offer." 

Socrates, as you have seen, was really one of the best 
men that ever lived, and, without having ever heard of 
the true God, he still believed in him. Nearly four cen- 
turies before the coming of Christ, when people believed 
in revenge, he preached the doctrine of " Love one 
another" and " Do good to them that hate you." 

But, in spite of all his goodness and constant upright- 
ness, Socrates the philosopher was condemned to the 
shameful death of a base criminal. 

Now, in Greece, criminals were forced to drink a cup 
of deadly poison at sunset on the day of their condem- 
nation, and there was generally but a few hours' delay 
between the sentence and its execution. But the law said 
that during one month in the year no such punishment 
should be inflicted. This was while an Athenian vessel 



177 

was away on a voyage to the Island of De'los to bear 
the annual offerings to Apollo's shrine. 

As Socrates was tried and condemned at this season, 
the people were forced to await the return of the vessel 
before they could kill him : so they put him in prison. 
Here he was chained fast, yet his friends were allowed 
to visit him and to talk with him. 

Day after day the small band of his pupils gathered 
around him in prison ; and, as some of them were very 
rich, they bribed the jailer, and arranged everything for 
their beloved master's escape. 

When the time came, and Socrates was told that he 
could leave the prison unseen, and be taken to a place 
of safety, he refused to go, saying that it would be 
against the law, which he had never yet disobeyed. 

In vain his friends and disciples begged him to save 
his life : he would not consent. Then Cri'to, one of his 
pupils, began to weep, in his distress, and exclaimed 
indignantly, " Master, will you then remain here, and 
die innocent ? " 

"Of course," replied Socrates, gravely. "Would you 
rather I should die guilty?" 

Then, gathering his disciples around him, he began to 
talk to them in the most beautiful and solemn way about 
life and death, and especially about the immortality of 
the soul. 

This last conversation of Socrates was so attentively 
listened to by his disciple Plato, the wisest among them 
all, that he afterward wrote it down from memory almost 
word for word, and thus kept it so that we can still read it. 

As the sun was slowly setting on that last day, the 

STO. OF GR. — 12 







U 

o 



179 

sacred vessel came back from Delos. The time of wait- 
ing was ended, and now the prisoner must. die. The 
jailer interrupted this beautiful last talk, and entered the 
cell, bringing the cup of poison. 

Socrates took the cup from his hand and drained it, 
unmoved, telling his disciples that he felt sure that death 
was only birth into another and better world. Then he 
bade them all farewell. 

As he was a good and scrupulous man, very careful 
about paying his debts and keeping his promises, he now 
told Crito to remember that he had promised to sacrifice 
a cock to yEs-cu-la'pi-us, the god of medicine, and bade 
him do it in his stead. 

He then lay down upon his hard prison bed, and, while 
he felt the chill of death slowly creeping upward toward 
his heart, he continued to teach and exhort his pupils to 
love virtue and do right. 

All his last sayings were carefully treasured by Plato, 
who wrote them down, and who concludes the story of 
his death in these beautiful words : " Thus died the man 
who, of all with whom we are acquainted, was in death 
the noblest, and in life, the wisest and best." 

Some time after the death of Socrates, the Athenians 
found out their mistake. Filled with remorse, they re- 
called the sentence which had condemned him, but they 
could not bring him back to life. In token of their 
sorrow, however, they set up a statue of him in the heart 
of their city. 

This statue, although made of bronze, has long ceased to 
exist; but the remembrance of Socrates' virtues is still held 
dear, and all who know his name both love and honor him. 



i8o 



LXXL THE DEFEAT OF CYRUS. 

IT was at the close of the Peloponnesian War that 
Darius II., King of Persia, died, leaving two sons, 
Artaxerxes and Cy'rus. These two heirs could not 
agree which should reign. Artaxerxes' claimed the 
throne because he was the elder, and Cyrus because 
he was the first son born after their father had become 
king ; for in Persia it was the custom for a ruler to 
choose as his successor a son born after he had taken 
possession of the throne. 

The quarrel between the two brothers daily became 
more bitter ; and when Artaxerxes made himself king 
by force, Cyrus swore that he would compel him to 
give up his place again. 

To oust his brother from the throne, Cyrus collected 
an army in Asia Minor ; and, as he could not secure 
enough Persian soldiers, he hired a body of eleven thou- 
sand Greeks, commanded by a Spartan named Cle-ar'- 
chus. 

This Greek army was only a small part of Cyrus' 
force ; but he expected great things from it, as the 
Persians had already found out to their cost that the 
Greeks were very good fighters. 

After a long march, the armies of both brothers met 
at Cu-nax'a ; and there was a terrible battle, in the midst 
of which Cyrus was killed. Of course, his death ended 
the quarrel, and the Persians all surrendered. 

But the Greeks continued fighting bravely, until Artax- 
erxes sent them word that his brother was dead, and that 






i8i 



he would have them guided safely back to their own 
country if they would lay down their arms. 

The Greeks, believing him, immediately stopped fight- 
ing ; and their officers accepted an invitation to enter the 
Persian camp, and be present at the council of all the 
generals. 

Their trust was sadly misplaced, however ; for no 
sooner had the Greek officers entered the tent than they 
were surrounded and slain. The Persian king then sent 
a message to the Greek troops, saying that their leaders 
were all dead, and summoning them to give up their 
arms and to swear to obey him in all things. 

This message filled the hearts of the Greeks with rage 
and despair. What were they to do ? Their chiefs were 
dead, they were in a strange country surrounded by ene- 
mies, and their own home lay eight months' journey 
away. 

They had no leaders, no money or provisions, and no 
guides to show them the way back across the burning 
sands, deep rivers, and over the mountains. They had 
nothing, in short, but the armor on their backs and the 
weapons in their hands. 

As they did not even know the language of the 
country, they could not ask their way ; and as they were 
surrounded by enemies, they must be constantly on their 
guard lest they should be surprised and taken prisoners 
or killed. They were indeed in a sorry plight ; and no 
wonder that they all fancied they would never see their 
homes again. When night came on, they flung them- 
selves down upon the ground without having eaten any 
supper. Their hearts were so heavy, however, that they 



182 



could not sleep, but tossed and moaned in their de- 
spair. 

In this army there was a pupil of Socrates, called 
Xenophon. He was a good and brave man. Instead 
of bewailing his bad luck, as the others did, he tried to 
think of some plan by which the army might yet be 
saved, and brought back to Greece. 

His night of deep thought was not in vain; and as 
soon as morning dawned he called his companions to- 
gether, and begged them to listen to him, as he had 
found a way of saving them from slavery or death. 

Then he explained to them, that, if they were only 
united and willing, they could form a compact body, and, 
under a leader of their own choosing, could beat a safe 
retreat toward the sea. 



-°-oX*;oo- 



LXXII. THE RETREAT OF THE TEN 
THOUSAND. 

XENOPHON'S advice pleased the Greeks. It was far 
better, they thought, to make the glorious attempt 
to return home, than basely to surrender their arms, and 
become the subjects of a foreign king. 

They therefore said they would elect a leader, and all 
chose Xenophon to fill this difficult office. He, however, 
consented to accept it only upon condition that each 
soldier would pledge his word of honor to obey him; 
for he knew that the least disobedience would hinder 
success, and that in union alone lay strength. The 



i83 

soldiers understood this too, and not only swore to obey 
him, but even promised not to quarrel among themselves. 

So the little army began its homeward march, tramp- 
ing bravely over sandy wastes and along rocky path- 
ways. When they came to a river too deep to be 
crossed by fording, they followed it up toward its source 
until they could find a suitable place to get over it ; and, 
as they had neither money nor provisions, they were 
obliged to seize all their food on the way. 

The Greeks not only had to overcome countless natural 
obstacles, but were also compelled to keep up a continual 
warfare with the Persians who pursued them. Every 
morning Xenophon had to draw up his little army in 
the form of a square, to keep the enemy at bay. 

They would fight thus until nearly nightfall, when the 
Persians always retreated, to camp at a distance from 
the men they feared. Instead of allowing his weary 
soldiers to sit down and rest, Xenophon would then give 
orders to march onward. So they tramped in the twi- 
light until it was too dark or they were too tired to pro- 
ceed any farther. 

After a hasty supper, the Greeks flung themselves 
down to rest on the hard ground, under the light of 
the stars ; but even these slumbers were cut short by 
Xenophon's call at early dawn. Long before the lazy 
Persians were awake, these men were again marching 
onward ; and when the mounted enemy overtook them 
once more, and compelled them to halt and fight, they 
were several miles nearer home. 

As the Greeks passed through the wild mountain 
gorges, they were further hindered by the neighboring 



1 84 

people, who tried to stop them by rolling trunks of 
trees and rocks down upon them. Although some were' 
wounded and others killed, the little army pressed for- 
ward, and, after a march of about a thousand miles, 
they came at last within sight of the sea. 

You may imagine what a joyful shout arose, and how 
lovingly they gazed upon the blue waters which washed 
the shores of their native land also. 

But although Xenophon and his men had come to the 
sea, their troubles were not yet ended; for, as they had 
no money to pay their passage, none of the captains 
would take them on board. 

Instead of embarking, therefore, and resting their weary 
limbs while the wind wafted them home, they were forced 
to tramp along the seashore. They were no longer in 
great danger, but were tired and discontented, and now 
for the first time they began to forget their promise to 
obey Xenophon. 

To obtain money enough to pay their passage to 
Greece, they took several small towns along their way, 
and robbed them. Then, hearing that there was a new 
expedition on foot to free the Ionian cities from the 
Persian yoke, they suddenly decided not to return home, 
but to go and help them. 

Xenophon therefore led them to Per'ga-mus, where he 
gave them over to their new leader. There were still 
ten thousand left out of the eleven thousand men that 
Cyrus had hired, and Xenophon had cause to feel proud 
of having brought them across the enemy's territory 
with so little loss. 

After bidding them farewell, Xenophon returned home, 



i85 

and wrote down an account of this famous Retreat of 
the Ten Thousand in a book called the A-nab'a-sis. 
This account is so interesting that people begin to read 
it as soon as they know a little Greek, and thus learn 
all about the fighting and marching of those brave men. 



LXXIII. AGESILAUS IN ASIA. 

YOU may remember that the Greeks, at the end of 
the Peloponnesian War, had found out that Sparta 
was the strongest city in the whole country ; for, although 
the Athenians managed to drive the Spartans out of 
their city, they were still forced to recognize them as 
the leaders of all Greece. 

The Spartans were proud of having reached such a 
position, and were eager to maintain it at any cost. 
They therefore kept all the Greek towns under their 
orders, and were delighted to think that their king, 
A-ges-i-la'us, was one of the best generals of his day. 

He was not, however, tall and strong, like most of his 
fellow-citizens, but puny and very lame. His small size 
and bad health had not lessened his courage, however, 
and he was always ready to plan a new campaign or to 
lead his men off to war. 

When it became known that Artaxerxes was about to 
march against the Greek cities in Ionia, to punish them 
for upholding his brother Cyrus, and for sending him 
the ten thousand soldiers who had beat such a masterly 
retreat, Agesilaus made up his mind to go and help them. 



i86 



There was no prospect of fighting at home just then, 
so the Spartan warriors were only too glad to follow 
their king to Asia. Agesilaus had no sooner landed in 
Asia Minor, than the Greek cities there gave him com- 
mand over their army, bidding him defend them from 
the wrath of Artaxerxes. 

Now, although the Persian host, as usual, far out- 
numbered the Greek army, Agesilaus won several vic- 
tories over his enemies, who were amazed that such a 
small and insignificant-looking man should be at the 
same time a king and a great general. 

They were accustomed to so much pomp and cere- 
mony, and always saw their own king so richly dressed, 
that it seemed very queer to them to see Agesilaus 
going about in the same garments as his men, and 
himself leading them in battle. 

<x£*JeJO« 



LXXIV. A STRANGE INTERVIEW. 

WE are told that Agesilaus was once asked to meet 
the Persian general Phar-na-ba'zus, to have a 
talk or conference with him, — a thing which often took 
place between generals of different armies. 

The meeting was set for a certain day and hour, 
under a large tree, and it was agreed that both generals 
should come under the escort of their personal attend- 
ants only. 

Agesilaus, plainly clad as usual, came first to the 
meeting place, and, sitting down upon the grass under 




Agesilaus and Pharnabazus. 



i88 



the tree, he began to eat his usual noonday meal of 
bread and onions. 

A few moments later the Persian general arrived in 
rich attire, attended by fan and parasol bearer, and by 
servants bringing carpets for him to sit upon, cooling 
drinks to refresh him, and delicate dishes to tempt his 
appetite. 

At first Pharnabazus fancied that a tramp was camp- 
ing under the tree ; but when he discovered that this 
plain little man was really Agesilaus, King of Sparta, 
and the winner of so many battles, he was ashamed of 
his pomp, sent away his attendants, and sat down on 
the ground beside the king. 

They now began an important talk, and Pharnabazus 
was filled with admiration when he heard the short but 
noble answers which Agesilaus had for all his questions. 
He was so impressed by the Spartan king, that he 
shook hands with him when the interview was ended. 

Agesilaus was equally pleased with Pharnabazus, and 
told him that he should be proud to call him friend. 
He invited him to leave his master, and come and live 
in Greece, where all noble men were free. 

Pharnabazus did not accept this invitation, but renewed 
the war, whereupon Agesilaus again won several impor- 
tant victories. When the Persian king heard that all his 
soldiers could not get the better of the Spartan king, 
he resolved to try the effect of bribery. 

He therefore sent a messenger to Athens to promise 
this city and her allies a very large sum of money 
provided that they would rise up in revolt against Sparta, 
and thus force Agesilaus to come home. 



1 89 



LXXV. THE PEACE OF ANTALCIDAS. 

THE Athenians hated the Spartans, and were only 
waiting for an excuse to make war against them : so 
they were only too glad to accept the bribe which Artax- 
erxes offered, and were paid with ten thousand Persian 
coins on which was stamped the figure of an archer. 

As soon as the Spartan ephors heard that the 
Athenians had revolted, they sent a message to Ages- 
ilaus to tell him to come home. The Spartan king 
was about to deal a crushing blow to the Persians, but 
he was forced to obey the summons. As he embarked 
he dryly said, " I could easily have beaten the whole 
Persian army, and still ten thousand Persian archers have 
forced me to give up all my plans." 

The Thebans joined the Athenians in this revolt, so 
Agesilaus was very indignant against them too. He 
energetically prepared for war, and met the combined 
Athenian and Theban forces at Coronea, where he de- 
feated them completely. 

The Athenians, in the mean while, had made their 
alliance with the Persians, and used the money which 
they had received to strengthen their ramparts, as you 
nave seen, and to finish the Long Walls, which had 
been ruined by the Spartans ten years before. 

All the Greek states were soon in arms, siding with 
the Athenians or with the Spartans ; and the contest 
continued until everybody was weary of fighting. There 
was, besides, much jealousy among the people themselves, 
and even the laurels of Agesilaus were envied. 



190 

The person who was most opposed to him was the 
Spartan An-tal'ci-das, who, fearing that further warfare 
would only result in increasing Agesilaus' popularity and 
glory, now began to advise peace. As the Greeks were 
tired of the long struggle, they sent Antalcidas to Asia 
to try to make a treaty with the Persians. 

Without thinking of anything but his hatred of 
Agesilaus, Antalcidas consented to all that the Persians 
asked, and finally signed a shameful treaty, by which 
all the Greek cities of Asia Minor and the Island of 
Cy'prus were handed over to the Persian king. The 
other Greek cities were declared independent, and thus 
Sparta was shorn of much of her power. This treaty 
was a disgrace, and it has always been known in his- 
tory by the name of the man who signed it out of 
petty spite. 



-»o>0><oo- 



LXXVI. THE THEBAN FRIENDS. 

ALTHOUGH all the Greek cities were to be free 
by the treaty of Antalcidas, the Spartans kept the 
Messenians under their sway ; and, as they were still the 
most powerful people in Greece, they saw that the other 
cities did not infringe upon their rights in any way. 

Under pretext of keeping all their neighbors in order, 
the Spartans were always under arms, and on one occa- 
sion even forced their way into the city of Thebes. The 
Thebans, who did not expect them, were not ready to 
make war, and were in holiday dress. 



i9i 

They were all in the temple, celebrating the festival of 
Demeter, the harvest goddess ; and when the Spartans 
came thus upon them, they were forced to yield without 
striking a single blow, as they had no weapons at hand. 

The Spartans were so afraid lest the best and richest 
citizens, should try to make the people revolt, that they 
exiled them all from Thebes, allowing none but the poor 
and insignificant to remain. 

To keep possession of the city which they had won 
by this trick, the Spartans put three thousand of their 
best warriors in the citadel, with orders to defend and 
hold it at any price. 

Among the exiled Thebans there was a noble and 
wealthy man called Pe-lop'i-das. He had been sorely 
wounded in a battle some time before, and would have 
died had he not been saved by a fellow-citizen named 
E-pam-i-non'das, who risked his own life in the rescue. 

This man, too, was of noble birth, and was said to be 
a descendant of the men who had sprung from the 
dragon teeth sown by Cadmus, the founder of Thebes. 
Epaminondas, however, was very poor; and wealth had 
no charms for him, for he was a disciple of Py-thag'o-ras, 
a philosopher who was almost as celebrated as Socrates. 

Now, although Epaminondas was poor, quiet, and studi- 
ous, and Pelopidas was particularly fond of noise and 
bustle, they became great friends and almost inseparable 
companions. Pelopidas, seeing how good and generous 
a man his friend was, did all he could to be like him, and 
even gave up all his luxurious ways to live plainly too. 

He therefore had plenty of money to spare, and this 
he spent very freely for the good of the poor. When 



192 

his former friends asked why he no longer cared for his 
riches, he pointed to a poor cripple near by, and said 
that money was of importance only to unhappy men like 
that one, who could do nothing for themselves. 



LXXVII. THEBES FREE ONCE MORE. 

THE Spartans, coming into Thebes, as we have seen, 
exiled the rich and important Pelopidas, but allowed 
his friend Epaminondas to remain. They little suspected 
that this quiet and seemingly stupid man would in time 
become their greatest enemy, and that the mere sound 
of his name would fill their hearts with dread. 

Pelopidas, thus forced to leave home, withdrew to 
Athens, where he was very kindly received. He was 
not happy, however, and was always longing to return 
home, and see his friend Epaminondas, whose society he 
missed very much. 

He therefore called a few of the Theban exiles together, 
and proposed that they should return to Thebes in dis- 
guise, and, taking advantage of the Spartans' carelessness, 
kill their leaders, and restore the city to freedom. 

This proposal was received with joy, although the 
Spartans numbered three thousand, and the Theban 
exiles only twelve. The chances were of course against 
them ; but the men were so anxious to free their city, 
that they resolved to make the attempt. 

They therefore set out from Athens with weapons and 
hunting dogs, as if bent upon a day's sport in the country. 



193 

Thus armed, they secretly entered the house of Cha'ron, 
one of their friends in Thebes. Here they exchanged 
their hunting garments for women's robes ; for, hearing 
that the Spartan general and his officers were feasting, 
they had resolved to pretend that they were dancing 
girls, in order to gain an entrance into the banquet hall, 
and kill the men while they were drinking. 

They had just finished dressing, when a knock was 
heard at the door, and a Spartan soldier came in and 
gravely informed Charon that the commander wished to 
see him. 

For a moment Pelopidas and his companions fancied 
that their plans were discovered, and that Charon had 
betrayed them. He read this suspicion in their frightened 
faces, and, before leaving the house with the soldier, he 
placed his only son, a mere infant, in the arms of Pelop- 
idas, saying, " There, keep him ; and if you find that 
I have betrayed you, avenge yourselves by killing my 
only child, my dearest treasure." 

After speaking thus, Charon went out, and soon came 
back to report that all was well. 

The Theban exiles now went to the banquet hall, 
where they were readily allowed to enter to amuse the 
company. The Spartan officers, who were no longer 
frugal and temperate as of old, were so heavy and stupid 
with wine, that the supposed dancing girls easily killed 
them. 

One version of the story is, that Pelopidas and his 
companions rushed out into the street with lighted 
torches, and slew every Spartan they met. The Spartan 
soldiers, deprived of most of their officers (who had 

STO. OF GR. — 13 




Avenge yourselves by killing my only child." 



195 

been killed in the banquet hall), and greatly frightened, 
fled in the darkness from what they fancied was a large 
army, and returned in haste to Sparta. 

Imagine their shame, however, when it became known 
there that they had been routed by only twelve deter- 
mined men ! The Spartan citizens were so angry that 
they put the two remaining officers to death, and, col- 
lecting another army, placed it under the leadership of 
Cle-om'bro-tus, their second king, because Agesilaus was 
too ill at the time to fight. 



£«<o~ 



LXXVIII. THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA. 

THE Thebans, delighted at having thus happily got 
rid of their enemies, had made Pelopidas and Epam- 
inondas Bce'o-tarchs, or chiefs of Bceotia, the country 
of which Thebes was the capital. These two men, know- 
ing well that the Spartans would soon send an army to 
win back the city, now made great preparations to oppose 
them. 

Epaminondas was made general of the army; and 
Pelopidas drilled a choice company, called the Sacred 
Battalion. This was formed of three hundred brave young 
Thebans, who took a solemn oath never to turn their 
backs upon the enemy or to surrender, and to die for 
their native country if necessary. 

The Thebans then marched forth to meet their foes; 
and the two armies met at Leuc'tra, a small town in 
Bceotia. As usual, the Thebans had consulted the oracles 



196 

to find out what they should do, and had been told that 
all the omens were unfavorable. Epaminondas, however, 
nobly replied that he knew of none which forbade fight- 
ing for the defense of one's country, and he boldly ordered 
the attack. 

The Spartans were greatly amused when they heard 
that Epaminondas, a student, was the commander of 
the army, and they expected to win a very easy victory. 
They were greatly surprised, therefore, when their on- 
slaught was met firmly, and when, in spite of all their 
valor, they found themselves defeated, and heard that 
their leader, Cleombrotus, was dead. 

The Thebans, of course, gloried in their triumph; but 
Epaminondas remained as modest and unassuming as 
ever, merely remarking that he was glad for his coun- 
try's and parents' sake that he had been successful. To 
commemorate their good fortune, the Thebans erected a 
trophy on the battlefield of Leuctra, where their troops 
had covered themselves with glory. 

The inhabitants of Sparta, who had counted confidently 
upon victory, were dismayed when they saw only a few 
of their soldiers return from the battle, and heard that 
the Thebans were pursuing them closely. Before they 
could collect new troops, the enemy marched boldly down 
into Laconia ; and the women of Sparta now beheld the 
smoke of the enemy's camp for the first time in many 
years. As there were neither walls nor fortifications of 
any kind, you can easily imagine that the inhabitants 
were in despair, and thought that their last hour had 
come. 

If Epaminondas had been of a revengeful temper, he 



197 

could easily have destroyed the city ; but he was gentle 
and humane, and, remaining at a short distance from the 
place, he said that he would go away without doing the 
Spartans any harm, provided they would promise not to 
attack Thebes again, and to set the Messenians free. 

These conditions were eagerly agreed to by the Spar- 
tans, who found themselves forced to take a second- 
ary place once more. Athens had ruled Greece, and 
had been forced to yield to Sparta ; but now Sparta was 
compelled in her turn to recognize the supremacy of 
Thebes. 



5^00- 



LXXIX. DEATH OF PELOPIDAS. 

THEBES was the main power in Greece after the 
brilliant victory at Leuctra, and for a short time the 
city managed to maintain its supremacy. By virtue of its 
position, it decided the destiny of less powerful cities ; 
and when Al-ex-an'der, tyrant of Thessaly, became very 
cruel, the Thebans sent Pelopidas to remonstrate with 
him. 

Instead of treating the ambassador of the Thebans 
with courtesy, however, the Thessalian tyrant loaded 
him with heavy chains, put him in prison, and vowed he 
would keep him there as long as he lived. 

When the news of this outrage reached the Thebans, 
they set out at once, under the guidance of two new 
Bceotarchs, to deliver their beloved fellow-citizen. Epami- 
nondas, too, marched in the ranks; for, now that his 



198 

term of office was ended, he had contentedly returned to 
his former obscure position. 

The new Bceotarchs were unfortunately very poor gen- 
erals. They met the Thessalian army, but were defeated 
and driven back. Indeed, the Thebans were soon in such 
danger, that the soldiers revolted against their generals, 
and begged Epaminondas again to take the lead. 

As they were in great distress, Epaminondas could 
not refuse to help them : so he assumed the command, 
and beat such a skillful retreat that he brought them 
out of the country in safety. 

The following year, when again chosen Bceotarch, 
Epaminondas made plans for a second campaign, and 
marched into Thessaly to deliver his friend, who was 
still a prisoner. 

When Alexander the tyrant heard that Epaminondas 
was at the head of the army, he was frightened, and 
tried to disarm the wrath of the Thebans by setting 
Pelopidas free, and sending him to meet the advancing 
army. 

Of course, Epaminondas was very glad to see his friend ; 
but when he heard how cruelly Alexander treated all his 
subjects, he nevertheless continued his march northward, 
hoping to rid the country of such a bad ruler. 

Just then the Spartans, in spite of their solemn prom- 
ise, suddenly rose up in arms against the Thebans ; and 
Epaminondas, leaving part of the army in Thessaly with 
Pelopidas, hurried southward with the rest to put down 
the revolt. 

Pelopidas marched boldly northward, met the Thessa- 
lians, and fought a fierce battle. When it was over, the 



199 

Thebans, although victorious, were very sad; for their 
leader, Pelopidas, had been slain in the midst of the fray. 
Still, undaunted by his death, the army pursued the 
Thessalians, and killed Alexander. Then, to show their 
scorn for such a vile wretch, they dragged his body 
through the mud, and finally flung it out of a palace 
window into the courtyard, where it was torn to pieces 
by his own bloodhounds. 



-oo^oe- 



LXXX. THE BATTLE OF MANTINEA. 

WHEN Epaminondas heard that his friend Pelopidas 
was dead, he grieved sorely ; but nevertheless, 
knowing that his country had need of him, he vigorously 
continued his preparations to meet and conquer the 
Spartan army. 

The battle promised to be hard fought ; for while Epam- 
inondas, the victor of Leuctra, led the Thebans, Agesilaus, 
the hero of countless battles, was again at the head of the 
Spartan army. The Thebans pressed forward so eagerly, 
however, that the two armies met at Man-ti-ne'a, in the 
central part of the Peloponnesus. 

In spite of Agesilaus' courage and experience, and the 
well-known discipline of the Spartan troops, the Thebans 
again won a splendid victory over their foes. Their joy, 
however, was turned to mourning when they heard that 
Epaminondas had been mortally wounded just as the 
battle was drawing to an end. 

A spear had pierced his breast ; and as he sank to 



200 



the ground, some of his followers caught him, bore him 
away tenderly in their arms, and carefully laid him down 
under a tree on a neighboring hillside. As soon as he 
opened his eyes, he eagerly asked how the army was 
getting along. 

Gently raising him so that he could see the battlefield, 
his friends pointed out the Spartan army in full flight, 
and the Thebans masters of the field. Epaminondas 
sank back with a sigh of relief, but soon roused himself 
again to ask whether his shield were safe. 

It was only when he had seen it that he would allow 
the doctors to examine his wound. They found the head 
of a barbed spear sunk deep into his breast, and said that 
it must be pulled out. Still they hesitated to draw it out, 
for they feared that the rush of blood would kill him. 

Epaminondas, therefore, bade them leave it alone, al- 
though he was suffering greatly ; and then he called for 
his assistant generals, to give them a few important or- 
ders. The friends standing around him sadly told him 
that both had fallen in the battle, and could no longer 
execute his commands. When Epaminondas heard this 
unwelcome news, he realized that there was no one left 
who could replace him, and maintain the Theban suprem- 
acy : so he advised his fellow-countrymen to seize the 
favorable opportunity to make peace with the Spartans. 

When he had thus done all in his power to provide 
for the future welfare of his native city, Epaminondas 
drew out the spear from his wound with his own hand, 
for he saw that his friends were afraid to touch it. 

As the doctors had foreseen, there was a great rush of 
blood, and they soon saw that Epaminondas had only 



201 



a few minutes to live. His friends wept over him, and 
one of them openly expressed his regret that Epaminon- 
das left no children. 

These words were heard by the dying hero, who 
opened his eyes once more, and gently said, " Leuctra 
and Mantinea are daughters enough to keep my name 
alive!" 

This saying has proved true ; for these two great vic- 
tories are put down in every Greek history, and are 
never spoken of except in connection with the noble 
general who won them in behalf of his country, and 
died on the field when the last victory was secured. 

In memory of Epaminondas, their greatest citizen and 
general, the Thebans erected a monument on the bat- 
tlefield, and engraved his name upon it, with an image 
of the dragon from whose teeth - his ancestors had 
sprung. 

The Thebans, remembering his dying wish, then pro- 
posed a peace, which was gladly accepted by all the 
Greek states, for they were exhausted by the almost 
constant warfare they had kept up during many years. 

o-O^O^OO 



LXXXI. THE TYRANT OF SYRACUSE. 

YOU have seen what a cruel man Alexander was. 
He was not the only tyrant in those days, however; 
for the city of Syracuse in Sicily, which Alcibiades had 
hoped to conquer, was ruled by a man as harsh and 
mean as Alexander. 



202 



This tyrint, whose name was Di-o-nys'ius, had seized 
the power by force, and kept his authority by exercis- 
ing the greatest severity. He was always surrounded by 
guards, who at a mere sign from him were ready to put 
any one to death. 

Dionysius was therefore feared and hated by the people 
whom he governed, but who would have been very glad 
to get rid of him. No honest man cared to come near 
such a bloodthirsty wretch, and there were soon none but 
wicked men to be found in his court. 

These men, hoping to win his favor and get rich 
gifts, used to flatter him constantly. They never told 
him the truth, but only praised him, and made believe 
to admire all he said and did. 

Of course, even though they were wicked too, they 
could not really admire him, but secretly hated and de- 
spised him. Their praise, therefore, was as false as they, 
and their advice was always as bad as bad could be. 

Now, Dionysius was as conceited as he was cruel, and 
fancied that there was nothing he could not do. Among 
other things, he thought he could write beautiful poetry. 
Whenever he wrote a poem, therefore, he read it aloud 
to all his courtiers, who went into raptures over it, 
although they made great fun of it behind his back. 

Dionysius was highly flattered by their praise, but 
thought he would like to have it confirmed by the phi- 
losopher Phi-lox'e-nus, the most learned man of Syra- 
cuse. 

He therefore sent for Philoxenus, and bade him give 
his candid opinion of the verse. Now, Philoxenus was 
far too noble a man to tell a lie ; and whenever he was 



203 

consulted by Dionysius, he always boldly told the truth, 
whether it was agreeable or not. 

When the tyrant asked his opinion about the poems, 
therefore, he unhesitatingly answered that they were 
trash, and did not deserve the name of poetry at all. 

This answer so angered Dionysius, and so sorely 
wounded his vanity, that he called his guards, and bade 
them put the philosopher into a prison hewn out of the 
living rock, and hence known as "The Quarries." 

Here Philoxenus was a prisoner for many a day, al- 
though his only fault was having told the tyrant an 
unwelcome truth when asked to speak. 

The philosopher's friends were indignant on hearing 
that he was in prison, and signed a petition asking Dio- 
nysius to set him free. The tyrant read the petition, and 
promised to grant their request on condition that the 
philosopher would sup with him. 

Dionysius' table was well decked, as usual, and at 
dessert he again read aloud some new verses which he 
had composed. All the courtiers went into ecstasies over 
them, but Philoxenus did not say a word. 

Dionysius, however, fancied that his long imprisonment 
had broken his spirit, and that he would not now dare 
refuse to give a few words of praise : so he pointedly 
asked Philoxenus what he thought of the poem. Instead 
of answering, the philosopher gravely turned toward the 
guards, and in a firm voice cried aloud, " Take me back 
to The Quarries ! " thus showing very plainly that he 
preferred suffering to telling an untruth. 

The courtiers were aghast at his rashness, and fully 
expected that the tyrant would take him at his word and 



204 

put him in prison, if nothing worse ; but Dionysius was 
struck by the moral courage which made Philoxenus tell 
the truth at the risk of his life, and he bade him go 
home in peace. 



^>-o>*;o«- 



LXXXII. STORY OF DAMON AND PYTHIAS. 

THERE lived in those days in Syracuse two young 
men called Da'mon and Pyth'i-as. They were very 
good friends, and loved each other so dearly that they 
were hardly ever seen apart. 

Now, it happenea that Pythias in some way roused 
the anger of the tyrant, who put him in prison, and con- 
demned him to die in a few days. When Damon heard 
of it, he was in despair, and vainly tried to obtain his 
friend's pardon and release. 

The mother of Pythias was very old, and lived far away 
from Syracuse with her daughter. When the young 
man heard that he was to die, he was tormented by the 
thought of leaving the women alone. In an interview 
with his friend Damon, Pythias regretfully said that he 
would die easier had he only been able to bid his 
mother good-by and find a protector for his sister. 

Damon, anxious to gratify his friend's last wish, went 
into the presence of the tyrant, and proposed to take 
the place of Pythias in prison, and even on the cross, if 
need be, provided the latter were allowed to visit his 
relatives once more. 

Dionysius had heard of the young men's touching 



205 

friendship, and hated them both merely because they 
were good ; yet he allowed them to change places, warn- 
ing them both, however, that, if Pythias were not back 
in time, Damon would have to die in his stead. 

At first Pythias refused to allow his friend to take 
his place in prison, but finally he consented, promising 
to be back in a few days to release him. So Pythias 
hastened home, found a husband for his sister, and saw 
her safely married. Then, after providing for his mother 
and bidding her farewell, he set out to return to Syra- 
cuse. 

The young man was traveling alone and on foot. He 
soon fell into the hands of thieves, who bound him fast 
to a tree; and it was only after hours of desperate 
struggling that he managed to wrench himself free once 
more, and sped along his way. 

He was running as hard as he could to make up for 
lost time, when he came to the edge of a stream. He 
had crossed it easily a few days before ; but a sudden 
spring freshet had changed it into a raging torrent, 
which no one else would have ventured to enter. 

In spite of the danger, Pythias plunged into the 
water, and, nerved by the fear that his friend would die 
in his stead, he fought the waves so successfully that 
he reached the other side safe but almost exhausted. 

Regardless of his pains, Pythias pressed anxiously 
onward, although his road now lay across a plain, 
where the hot rays of the sun and the burning sands 
greatly increased his fatigue and faintness, and almost 
made him die of thirst. Still he sped onward as fast 
as his trembling limbs could carry him; for the sun was 




C 

C 
O 

B 

Q 



1 
207 

sinking fast, and he knew that his friend would die if 
he were not in Syracuse by sunset. 

Dionysius, in the mean while, had been amusing him- 
self by taunting Damon, constantly telling him that he 
was a fool to have risked his life for a friend, however 
dear. To anger him, he also insisted that Pythias was 
only too glad to escape death, and would be very careful 
not to return in time. 

Damon, who knew the goodness and affection of his 
friend, received these remarks with the scorn they 
deserved, and repeated again and again that he knew 
Pythias would never break his word, but would be back 
in time, unless hindered in some unforeseen way. 

The last hour came. The guards led Damon to the 
place of crucifixion, where he again asserted his faith in 
his friend, adding, however, that he sincerely hoped 
Pythias would come too late, so that he might die in 
his stead. 

Just as the guards were about to nail Damon to 
the cross, Pythias dashed up, pale, bloodstained, and 
disheveled, and flung his arms around his friend's neck 
with a sob of relief. For the first time Damon now 
turned pale, and began to shed tears of bitter regret. 

In a few hurried, panting words, Pythias explained the 
cause of his delay, and, loosing his friend's bonds with 
his own hands, bade the guards bind him instead. 

Dionysius, who had come to see the execution, was 
so touched by this true friendship, that for once he for- 
got his cruelty, and let both young men go free, saying 
that he would not have believed such devotion possible 
had he not seen it with his own eyes. 



208 



This friendship, which wrung tears from the grim 
executioners, and touched the tyrant's heart, has become 
proverbial. When men are devoted friends, they are 
often compared to Damon and Pythias, whose story has 
been a favorite with poets and playwrights. 

<X>X*;o<> 



LXXXIII. THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES. 

DIONYSIUS, tyrant of Syracuse, was not happy, in 
spite of all his wealth and power. He was espe- 
cially haunted by the constant fear that some one would 
murder him, for he had been so cruel that he had 
made many bitter enemies. 

We are told that he was so afraid, that he never went 
out unless surrounded by guards, sword in hand, and 
never walked into any room until his servants had ex- 
amined every nook and corner, and made sure that no 
murderer was hiding there. 

The tyrant even carried his caution so far, that no one 
was allowed to come into his presence until thoroughly 
searched, so as to make sure that the visitor had no 
weapon hidden about his person. When his barber once 
jokingly said that the tyrant's life was daily at his mercy, 
Dionysius would no longer allow the man to shave him. 

Instead of the barber, Dionysius made his wife and 
daughter do this service for him, until, growing afraid of 
them also, he either did it himself or let his beard grow. 

Suspicious people are never happy; and, as Dionysius 
thought that everybody had as evil thoughts as himself, 



2og 

he was always expecting others to rob or murder or 
injure him in some way. 

His sleep, even, was haunted by fear; and, lest some 
one should take him unawares, he slept in a bed sur- 
rounded by a deep trench. There was a drawbridge 
leading to the bed, which he always drew up himself 
on his own side, so that no one could get at him to 
murder him in his sleep. 

Among the courtiers who daily visited Dionysius there 
was one called Dam'o-cles. He was a great flatterer, and 
was never weary of telling the tyrant how lucky and 
powerful and rich he was, and how enviable was his 
lot. 

Dionysius finally grew tired of hearing his flattery ; and 
when he once added, " If I were only obeyed as well as 
you, I should be the happiest of men," the tyrant offered 
to take him at his word. 

By his order, Damocles was dressed in the richest gar- 
ments, laid on the softest couch before the richest meal, 
and the servants were told to obey his every wish. This 
pleased Damocles greatly. He laughed and sang, ate 
and drank, and was enjoying himself most thoroughly. 

By chance he idly gazed up at the ceiling, and saw 
a naked sword hanging by a single hair directly over 
his head. He grew pale with terror, the laughter died 
on his lips, and, as soon as he could move, he sprang 
from the couch, where he had been in such danger of 
being killed at any minute by the falling sword. 

Dionysius with pretended surprise urged him to go back 
to his seat ; but Damocles refused to do so, and pointed 
to the sword with a trembling hand. Then the tyrant 

STO. OF GR. — 14 



210 



told him that a person always haunted by fear can 
never be truly happy, — an explanation which Damocles 
readily understood. 

Since then, whenever a seemingly happy and prosper- 
ous person is threatened by a hidden danger, it has been 
usual to compare him to Damocles, and to say that a 
sword is hanging over his head. 



^x>XXcx>- 



LXXXIV. DION AND DIONYSIUS. 

WHEN Dionysius the tyrant died at last, he was suc- 
ceeded by his son, a lazy, good-for-nothing young 
man, who was always changing his mind. Every day he 
had some new fancy, admired something new, or rode 
some new hobby. As the son's name was the same as the 
father's, the latter is now sometimes known as Dionysius 
the Elder, while the son is generally called Dionysius 
the Younger. 

The new tyrant had a brother-in-law named Di'on, a 
good and studious man, who had received an excellent 
education. Like most rich young Greeks of his day, 
Dion had gone to Athens to finish his studies ; and 
there he had been a pupil of Plato, the disciple of 
Socrates. 

As Dion was modest, truthful, and eager to learn, he 
soon became a favorite of Plato, who took great interest 
in him, and spared no pains to make him a fine scholar 
and philosopher. 

When Dion came back to Syracuse, he often spoke 



211 



with great warmth of his teacher. This so excited the 
curiosity of Dionysius, the new tyrant, that he longed 
to see Plato himself. He therefore begged Dion to 
invite Plato to Syracuse to teach him also. 

The young man was very glad to do so. He hoped, 
that, under the philosopher's wise teachings, Dionysius 
would learn to be good and industrious, and thus become 
a blessing instead of a curse to his people. But Plato 
was already an old man, and answered that he could 
not undertake so long a journey at his advanced age. 

Dion then wrote again such imploring letters, that the 
philosopher finally decided to change his mind, and set 
sail for Syracuse. There he was received at the shore 
by Dionysius in person, and escorted to the palace. 

For a short time the tyrant listened with great pleas- 
ure to the philosopher's teachings. Then, growing weary 
of virtue as of everything else, he suddenly began to 
reproach Dion for bringing such a tiresome person to 
court. 

All the courtiers had pretended to listen to Plato's 
teaching with the greatest interest ; but they liked feast- 
ing better than philosophy, and now began to make fun 
of the great Athenian, and to turn him into ridicule. 

They were so afraid that the virtuous Dion would 
again win their fickle master's ear, and induce him to 
do something really useful and reasonable, that they 
made up their minds to get rid of him. 

By artful slander they soon made Dionysius believe 
that his brother-in-law was a traitor, and that his only 
wish was to take the power, and become tyrant of Syra- 
cuse in hjs stead. 



212 



Now, these accusations were not true ; but Dionysius 
believed them, and sent Dion into exile, forbidding his 
wife, who loved him dearly, to go with him, and even 
forcing her to take another husband instead. 

The courtiers wished to revenge themselves for the 
weary hours they had spent listening to Plato's beautiful 
talk, which they were too base to understand, so they 
now said that he had helped Dion ; and they had him 
first put into prison, and then sold into slavery. 

Happily, there were some of the philosopher's friends 
in town ; and they, hearing of this outrage, knew no rest 
until they had bought his freedom, and sent him back 
to Athens to end his life in peace. 

On his way home, Plato stopped at Olympia to attend 
the games. As soon as the people found out that he was 
there, they shouted for joy; and one and all voted him a 
crown just like those won by the victors in the games. 

This was the highest honor the Greeks could bestow ; 
and, although it was nothing but a wreath of olive leaves, 
you may be sure that the philosopher prized it more 
highly than if it had been of pure gold, because it was 
a token of the love and respect of his countrymen. 

o-o>04oo 



LXXXV. CIVIL WAR IN SYRACUSE. 

WHEN Dion was exiled from Syracuse by Dionys- 
ius, he went to Greece, where he was unhappy 
only because he could not see the wife and child he 
loved so dearly. 



213 

When he heard that the tyrant had forced his wife 
to belong to another husband, he vowed he would pun- 
ish Dionysius for this crime. Plato vainly tried to per- 
suade Dion not to return to Syracuse. The young man 
refused to listen to his advice, and, gathering together 
a small army, he set sail without delay. 

He landed boldly, although he was an exile, and was 
welcomed with great joy by all the people, who were 
very weary of their ruler. When he told them that he 
had come to punish the tyrant, they all joined him, and 
marched with him up to the palace. 

As Dionysius was out of town at the time, they had 
no trouble whatever in getting into the royal dwelling. 
This was hastily deserted by the tyrant's few friends, 
who took refuge in the citadel. 

Some time after, when Dionysius came back to the 
city, he found the harbor blocked by a great chain 
stretched across it to prevent the entrance of any ship ; 
and he was forced to retreat into the citadel, where the 
angry Syr-a-cus'ans came to besiege him. 

Now, Dion had a great many friends, and, as every- 
body knew that he was truthful and well-meaning, the 
people all fought on his side. He was so strict with 
himself, however, that he treated his subjects also with 
great rigor, and exacted such obedience and virtue that 
they soon grew weary of his reign. 

Then, too, while he was always ready to reward the 
good, Dion punished the wicked with such severity that 
he soon made many enemies. One of these was the 
courtier Her-a-cli'des, who, instead of showing his dis- 
like openly, began to plot against him in secret. 



214 

Dionysius, besieged in the citadel, was in sore straits 
by this time, and almost dying of hunger ; for the 
Syracusans, afraid that he would escape, had built a 
wall all around the citadel, and watched it night and 
day, to prevent any one from going in or out, or smug- 
gling in any food. 

As Dionysius had no army, and could not win back 
his throne by force, he made up his mind to do so, if 
possible, by a trick. He therefore wrote a letter, in 
which he offered Dion the tyranny in exchange for his 
freedom. This message was worded so cleverly that it 
sounded as if Dion had asked to be made tyrant of 
Syracuse. 

ooXKoc 



LXXXVI. DEATH OF DION. 

NOW, after suffering so much under Dionysius and 
his father, the Syracusans had learned to hate the 
very name of tyrant; and ever since Dion had come 
into the city, and taken the lead, they had loudly said 
they would never stand such a ruler again. 

As soon as the letter was ended, Dionysius tied it 
to a stone, and threw it over the wall. Of course, it 
was carried to Dion, who read it aloud, little suspect- 
ing its contents, or the effect it would produce upon his 
followers. 

. The people began to frown and look angry, and Hera- 
clides boldly seized this opportunity to poison their minds 
against Dion. He urged them to drive their new leader 



215 

out of the city, and to give the command of the army 
to him instead. 

The people, ever ready for a change, gladly listened 
to this advice, and, after banishing Dion, made Heracli- 
des their chief. Dionysius cleverly managed to escape 
from the citadel ; and his general, Nyp'sius, only then 
becoming aware of the revolution, took his place there, 
and by a sudden sally won back the greater part of 
the city. 

As Heraclides was taken by surprise at this move, and 
greatly feared the wrath of Dionysius, he now wrote to 
Dion, begging him to come back and save those who 
had upheld him. 

The appeal was not made in vain. Dion generously 
forgave the treachery of Heraclides, and, marching into 
the city once more, drove Nypsius back into the citadel, 
where this general died. 

The people of Syracuse were ashamed of having so 
suddenly turned against Dion after their first warm wel- 
come to him, and they now fell at his feet, begging his 
pardon, which he freely granted to them all. 

In spite of this kindness, which they had not deserved, 
Heraclides and many others went on plotting secretly 
against Dion, until his friends, weary of such double 
dealing, put Heraclides to death. 

Dion was sorry for this, reproved his friends for com- 
mitting such a crime, and said that he knew the Syra- 
cusans would in time lay the murder at his door, and 
try to punish him for it. 

He was right in thinking thus, for the friends of Hera- 
clides soon began plotting against him ; and, entering his 



2l6 



country house one day when he was alone, they fell 
upon him and killed him. 

As soon as Dionysius heard that Dion was dead, he 
hastened back to Syracuse, where he ruled more cruelly 
than ever, and put so many people to death that the citi- 
zens rose up against him once more. With the help cf 
a Co-rin'thi-an army, they then freed their city, and sent 




Dionysius to Corinth, where 
he was forced to earn his liv- 
ing by teaching school. 
As Dionysius was a cross and unkind teacher, the 
children would neither love nor obey him ; and when- 
ever he passed down the street, clad in a rough mantle 
instead of a jewel-covered robe, the people all hooted, 
and made great fun of him. 



217 



LXXXVII. PHILIP OF MACEDON. 

IN the days when Thebes was the strongest city in 
Greece, and when Epaminondas was the leader in his 
native country, he received in his house a young Mac-e-do'- 
ni-an prince called Philip. This young man had been sent 
to Greece as a hostage, and was brought up under the eye 
of Epaminondas. The Theban hero got the best teachers 
for Philip, who was thus trained with great care, and be- 
came not only quite learned, but also brave and strong. 

Mac'e-don, Philip's country, was north of Greece, and its 
rulers spoke Greek and were of Greek descent ; but, as 
the people of Macedon were not of the same race, the 
Greeks did not like them, and never allowed them to 
send any one to the Amphictyonic Council. 

Two years after the battle of Mantinea, when Philip 
was eighteen years old, he suddenly learned that the 
king, his brother, was dead, and had left an infant to 
take his place. Philip knew that a child could not gov- 
ern : so he escaped from Thebes, where he was not very 
closely watched, and made his way to Macedon. 

Arriving there, he offered to rule in his little nephew's 
stead. The people were very glad indeed to accept his 
services ; and when they found that the child was only 
half-witted, they formally offered the crown of Macedon 
to Philip. 

Now, although Macedon was a very small country, 
Philip no sooner became king than he made up his mind 
to place it at the head of all the Greek states, and 
make it the foremost kingdom of the world. 



218 



This was a very ambitious plan ; and in order to carry 
it out, Philip knew that he would need a good army. 
He therefore began to train his men, and, remembering 
how successful Epaminondas had been, he taught them 
to fight as the Thebans had fought at Leuctra and 
Mantinea. 

Then, instead of drawing up his soldiers in one long 
line of battle, he formed them into a solid body, — an ar- 
rangement which soon became known as the Macedonian 
phalanx. 

Each soldier in the phalanx had a large shield, and 
carried a spear. As soon as the signal for battle was 
given, the men locked their shields together so as to 
form a wall, and stood in ranks one behind the other. 

The first row of soldiers had short spears, and the 
fourth and last rows very long ones. The weapons, of 
the other rows were of medium length, so that they all 
stuck out beyond the first soldiers, and formed a bristling 
array of points which no one dared meet. 

Philip not only trained his army so as to have well- 
drilled soldiers ready, but also found and began to work 
some gold mines in his kingdom. As they yielded much 
precious metal, he soon became one of the richest men 
of his time. 

This wealth proved very useful, for it helped him to 
hire a great force of soldiers, and also to buy up a 
number of allies. In fact, Philip soon found that his 
gold was even more useful than his army, and he was 
in the habit of saying that " a fortress can always be 
taken if only a mule laden with gold can be got inside." 

Philip was so kind and just that he soon won the 



219 

love of all his subjects. It is said that he listened to 
the complaints of the poor and humble with as much 
patience as to those of his noblest courtiers. 

Once, after dining heavily and drinking too much, 
Philip was suddenly called upon to try the case of a 
poor widow. As the king's head was not very clear, he 
was not able to judge as well as usual : so he soon said 
that she was in the wrong, and should be punished. 

The woman, who knew that she was right, was very 
angry ; and, as the guards were dragging her away, she 
daringly cried, " I appeal ! " 

"Appeal?" asked Philip, in a mocking tone, "and 
to whom ? " 

" I appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober ! " 
replied the woman. 

These words made such an impression upon Philip, 
that he said he would try the case again on the next 
day, when his head was quite clear. He did not forget 
his promise on the morrow ; and when he found that 
the woman was right, he punished her accuser, and set 
her free. 



LXXXVIII. PHILIP BEGINS HIS CONQUESTS. 

AS we have already seen, when Philip found himself 
in the wrong, he was not afraid to admit his mis- 
take, and to try to do better. He was also very patient 
and forgiving. On one occasion he heard that a man 
named Ni-ca'nor was always speaking ill of him. 



220 



He therefore sent for the man, who came in fear 
and trembling, thinking that the king would either im- 
prison or slay him. Philip, however, received him kindly, 
made him sit at his own table, and let him go only after 
giving him many rich gifts. As the king had not found 
fault with him in any way, Nicanor was greatly sur- 
prised, and vowed that he would not speak another word 
against so generous a man. 

As soon as Philip had made sure of his authority 
at home, drilled his army, and piled up enough gold, 
he began to carry out his bold plans. First of all, he 
wished to subdue a few of his most unruly neighbors, 
such as the Thracians and O-lvn'thi-ans. 

An archer named As'ter came to him just before 
he began this war. This man offered his help to the 
king, and began to boast how well he could shoot. 
Philip, who believed only in spears for fighting, sent the 
man away, after saying that he would call for his help 
when he began to war against starlings and other birds. 

This answer made Aster so angry that he went over 
to the enemy and enlisted in their ranks. Philip soon 
came to besiege the city where Aster was stationed ; 
and as soon as the archer heard of it, he got an arrow 
upon which he wrote, " To Philip's left eye." 

Aster then went up on the wall, took careful aim, and 
actually put out the king's left eye. Philip was so 
angry when he heard of the writing on the arrow, that 
he ordered another shot into the city. On this arrow 
was written, " If Philip takes the city, • he will hang 
Aster." 

The city was taken, and the archer hung ; for Philip 



221 



always prided himself upon keeping promises of this 
kind. The Olynthians, finding that they would not be 
able to resist long, now wrote a letter to the Athenians, 
begging them to come to their rescue. 

The Athenians read the letter in the public square, 
so that every one could hear it, and then began to dis- 
cuss whether they should send any help. As was always 
the case, some were for, and others against, the plan, 
and there was much talking. Among the best speakers 
of the city was the orator De-mos'the-nes, a very clear- 
sighted man, who suspected Philip's designs. He there- 
fore warmly advised the Athenians to do all they could 
to oppose the Macedonian king, so as to prevent his 
ever getting a foothold in Greece. Indeed, he spoke 
so eloquently and severely against Philip, and told the 
people so plainly that the king was already plotting to 
harm them, that violent speeches directed against any 
one have ever since been called " Philippics," like these 
orations against the King of Macedon. 

o-0>®<0<> 



LXXXIX. THE ORATOR DEMOSTHENES. 

AS you have seen in the last chapter, Philip had one 
great enemy in Greece, the orator Demosthenes. He 
had distrusted Philip from the very first, and had kept 
warning the Athenians that the King of Macedon was 
very ambitious, and would soon try to become master 
of all Greece. When the Olynthians asked for aid, he 
had warmly urged the Athenians to give it, saying that 



222 



they ought to bring on the conflict with Philip as soon 
as possible, so that the fighting might be done outside 
of Greece. In spite of his good arguments, however, 
Demosthenes failed. 

Philip took not only O-lyn'thus, but all the towns 

which formed the Olynthian 

union, and destroyed them so 

completely that a few years 

later one could not even 

find out where these once 

prosperous cities had been. 

Demosthenes made three 

very fine speeches in favor 

of the Olynthians, and 

several against Philip. 

These were written down, 

and have been translated 

time and again. You may 

some day read and admire 

them for yourselves. 

Of course, when Philip 
heard of Demosthenes' 
speeches, he was very an- 
gry ; but he thought that 
his gold could do won- 
ders, so he sent a beauti- 
ful cup of that precious 
metal to the orator. The 
gift was accepted ; still 
Demosthenes, instead of remaining silent as Philip had 
expected, went on talking against him as openly as before. 




Demosthenes. 



223 

As Demosthenes was such a great man, you will like 
to hear how he learned to speak so well. He was an 
orphan, but very ambitious indeed. He saw how eagerly 
the Athenians listened to the best speakers, and he 
thought that he too would like to become an orator. 

Unfortunately, he could not talk very plainly, and 
instead of listening to him, even his playmates made 
fun of him. But instead of crying, sulking, or getting 
angry, Demosthenes sensibly made up his mind to learn 
how to speak so well that they could no longer laugh 
at him. He therefore learned a great deal of poetry, 
which he recited daily as distinctly as possible. To be 
able to do this without attracting any attention, he used 
to go down to a lonely spot on the seashore, where he 
would put some pebbles in his mouth, and then try to 
recite so loud that his voice could be heard above the 
noise of the waves. 

To make his lungs strong, he used to walk and run 
up hill, reciting as he went ; and, in order to form a 
pleasant style, he copied nine times the works of the 
great Greek historian Thu-cyd'i-des. 

When a young man, he shut himself up in the house 
to study hard. Then, as he was afraid of being tempted 
to go out and amuse himself, he shaved one side of his 
head, and let the hair grow long on the other. 

You see, he was bound to succeed, and his constant 
trying was duly rewarded, as it always is. He became 
learned, eloquent, and energetic ; and whenever he rose 
to speak in the public places of Athens, he was sur- 
rounded by an admiring crowd, who listened open- 
mouthed to all he said. 



224 

The Athenians were too lazy at this time, however, 
to bestir themselves very much, even for their own good. 
So, in spite of all that Demosthenes could sav, they did 
not offer any great resistance to Philip, who little by little 
became a very powerful king. 



3>*400- 



XC. PHILIP MASTERS GREECE. 

WHEN Philip had entirely subdued the Thracians 
and Olynthians, he helped the Thessalians to 
get rid of their tvrant; and, adding their cavalrv to his 
infantry, he boasted of as fine an army as the Greeks 
had ever been able to muster. He was very anxious 
to find a pretext to march into Greece at the head of 
this force, because he thought that, once there, he would 
soon manage to become master of all the towns. And 
the excuse for which he longed so much soon came. 

A contest known as the Sacred War was going on in 
Greece at that time. It had arisen because the Pho'cians 
had taken possession of lands that were left waste in 
honor of the god Apollo. The Amphictyonic Council 
said they should pay a fine for this offense ; and the 
Phocians, angry at being thus publicly reproved, defied 
the council. 

To show how little they intended to obey, they not 
only kept the land they had taken, but robbed the temple 
at Delphi. Then they used the money thus obtained 
to win over some allies, and soon began to make war 
against the people who obeyed the council. 



225 

The loyal Greeks fought against the Phocians for a 
long time, but were unable to conquer them : so Philip 
proposed to come and help the council. In their 
anxiety to win in this war, the Greeks gladly allowed 
him to bring his army into their country, and he soon 
completely subdued the rebels. 

In reward for his help, Philip was made president 
of the council, — a position he had long coveted, — and 
leader of the Pyth'i-an games held in honor of Apollo. 

When the war was ended, Philip quietly went back 
to Macedon. He was, however, merely waiting for a 
favorable opportunity to reenter Greece, and punish the 
Athenians for listening to Demosthenes' speeches against 
him. 

In the mean while, Philip's gold had been very busy, 
and he was buying up as many friends and allies as he 
could. Many of his gifts had the desired effect, and 
were not like the gold cup which he sent to Demos- 
thenes. This, you know, had wholly failed in its pur- 
pose, for the orator went on talking more eloquently 
than ever against the Macedonian king. 

He finally roused the Athenians to the point of arm- 
ing to meet Philip, when they heard that he was really 
coming at last to make himself master of Greece. Their 
allies, the Thebans, joined them ; and the two armies 
met at Chaer-o-ne'a, in Boeotia, where a terrible battle 
was fought. 

Demosthenes had joined the army ; but as he was no 
soldier, and was not very brave, he fled at the very first 
onset. Dashing through the bushes, he was suddenly 
stopped by some spiky branches that caught in his cloak 

STO. OF GR. — 15 



226 



and held him fast. The orator was so frightened that 
he thought the enemy had captured him, and, falling 
upon his knees, he began to beg that his life might 
be spared. 

While Demosthenes was thus flying madly, his friends 
and fellow-citizens were bravely meeting the Macedo- 
nians ; but, in spite of all their courage, they were soon 
forced to yield to the Macedonian phalanx, and the battle- 
field was left strewn with their dead. 

Alexander, Philip's son, who was then only eighteen 
years of age, commanded one wing of his father's army, 
and had the glory of completely crushing the Sacred 
Battalion of the Thebans, which had never before been 
beaten. 

This brilliant victory at Chaeronea made Philip really 
master of all Greece ; but he generously refrained from 
making the Athenians recognize him openly as their 
lord, although he made their government do whatever 
he pleased. 

As Greece was now obedient to him, the ambitious 
Philip began to plan the conquest of Asia and the down- 
fall of the Persian Empire. To get as large an army as 
possible, he invited all the Greeks to join him, artfully 
reminding them of all they had suffered at the hands of 
the Persians in the past. 

His preparations were nearly finished, and he was on 
the point of starting for Asia, when he was murdered by 
Pausanias, one of his subjects, whom he had treated 
very unkindly. 



227 



XCI. BIRTH OF ALEXANDER. 

WHEN Philip died, he was succeeded by his son 
Alexander, a young man of twenty, who had 
already earned a good name by leading part of the army 
at the battle of Chasronea. His efforts, as you know, had 
defeated the Sacred Battalion of the Thebans, and helped 
much to secure the victory. 

Through his mother, O-lym'pi-as, Alexander was a 
descendant of Achilles, the well-known hero of the Trojan 
War. He was born at Pel'la, a city of Macedon, three 
hundred and fifty-six years before Christ. His father 
was so pleased to have a son, that he said that all the 
boys born in his kingdom on the same day should be 
brought up with Alexander in the palace, and become 
his bodyguard. 

Thus you see the young prince had plenty of play- 
mates ; and, as there was nothing he liked better than 
fighting, he soon began to play soldiers, and to train his 
little regiment. 

From the very first, the Macedonians had declared that 
Alexander was born to greatness, and several noted events 
that took place on the day of his birth served to con- 
firm this belief. 

In the first place, Par-me'ni-o, Philip's general, won a 
grand victory on that day ; then Philip's horses, which 
had been sent to Olympia, got the prize at the chariot 
races ; and, lastly, the famous temple at Ephesus, dedi- 
cated to Diana, was burned to the ground. 

The first two events were joyful in the ; extreme ; but 



228 



the burning of this temple, which was among the won- 
ders of the world, was a great calamity. Every one was 
anxious to know how it had happened ; and all were very 
angry when they found out that it was not an accident, 
but had been done on purpose. 

The man who had set fire to it was crazy. His name 
was E-ros'tra-tus ; and when he was asked why he had 
done such a wicked thing, he said that it was only to 
make his name immortal. The people were so indignant, 
that they not only condemned him to die, but forbade 
all mention of his name, hoping that it would be for- 
gotten. 

In spite of this care, Erostratus' name has come down 
to us. It is immortal indeed, but who except a crazy man 
would wish to win such fame, and could bear to think 
that all who ever heard of him would condemn his 
action, and consider him as wicked as he was insane ? 

Alexander was first given over to the care of a nurse. 
He loved her dearly as long as he lived, and her son 
Cly'tus was always one of his best friends and most 
faithful comrades. 

As soon as he was old enough, Alexander began to 
learn the Iliad and Odyssey by heart ; and he loved to 
hear about the principal heroes, and especially about his 
own ancestor, Achilles. 

He admired these poems so much that he carried a 
copy of them with him wherever he went, and always 
slept with it under his pillow. Both the Iliad and the 
Odyssey were kept in a box of the finest gold, because 
Alexander thought nothing was too good for them. 



229 



XCII. THE STEED BUCEPHALUS. 

WHEN only thirteen years of age, Alexander once 
saw some-horsedealers bringing a beautiful steed 
before the king. The animal had a white spot on his 
nose shaped somewhat like the head of an ox, and on 
this account was named Bu-ceph'a-lus, which means " ox- 
head." 

Philip admired the horse greatly, and bade the grooms 
try him, to see if his gait was good. One after another 
mounted, only to be thrown a few minutes later by the 
fiery, restless steed, which was becoming very much ex- 
cited. 

The horse seemed so skittish that Philip finally told 
the men to lead him away, adding that a man would be 
foolish to purchase such a useless animal. Alexander 
then stepped forward and begged permission to try him. 

His father first made fun of him for asking to mount 
a horse which none of the grooms could manage ; but, 
as Alexander persisted in his wish, he was finally allowed 
to make the attempt. 

The young prince then quietly walked up to the ex- 
cited horse, took the bridle, held it firmly, and began to 
speak gently and pat the steed's arched neck. After a 
moment, Alexander led Bucephalus forward a few steps, 
and then turned him around, for he had noticed that 
the horse was frightened by his shadow. 

Then, when the shadow lay where he could not see it, 
and where it could no longer frighten him, the young man 
dropped his cloak quietly, and vaulted upon the horse's 



231 

back. Once more Bucephalus reared, pranced, kicked,, 
and ran ; but Alexander sat firmly on his back, spoke to 
him gently, and, making no effort to hold him in, let 
him speed across the plain. 

In a few moments the horse's wildness was over, and 
Alexander could ride back to his proud father, sitting 
upon a steed which obeyed his slightest touch. 

Philip was so delighted with the coolness, courage, 
and good horsemanship that Alexander had shown on 
this occasion, that he made him a present of the steed. 
Bucephalus became Alexander's favorite mount, and, 
while he would allow no one else to ride him, he 
obeyed his master perfectly. 

Although most young men began the study of philos- 
ophy only at sixteen, Alexander was placed under the 
tuition of Ar'is-totle soon after his first ride on Buceph- 
alus. This philosopher was a pupil of Plato. He was 
so learned and well known, that Philip, in writing to him 
to tell him of Alexander's birth, expressed his pleasure 
that the gods had allowed his son to live in the same 
age with so great a teacher. 

Alexander loved Aristotle dearly, and willingly learned 
all that was required of him. He often said that he 
was very grateful, for this philosopher had taught him 
all the good he knew. Alexander's remarkable coolness, 
judgment, and perseverance were largely owing to his 
teacher, and, had he always followed Aristotle's advice, 
he would have been truly great. 

But although Alexander did not always practice the 
virtues which Aristotle had tried to teach him, he never 
forgot his old tutor. He gave him large sums of money, 



232 

so that the philosopher could continue his studies, and 
find out new things; and during his journeys he always 
sent him complete collections of the animals and plants 
of the regions he visited. 



>>k< 



XCIII. ALEXANDER AS KING. 

PHILIP, King of Macedon, as we have seen, had one 
great fault. He drank; and often his reason was 
clouded, and his step unsteady. Now, it is impossible 
to respect a man who is drunk, and everybody used to 
make fun of Philip when he was in that state. 

Even Alexander, his own son, felt great contempt for 
him when he thus disgraced himself; and once when he 
saw his father stagger and fall after one of his orgies, 
he scornfully exclaimed, " See ! here is a man who is 
getting ready to cross from Europe to Asia, and yet he 
cannot step safely from one couch to another/' 

Alexander, we are told, was greatly displeased by his 
father's conquests, and once angrily cried that if Philip 
really beat the Persians, and took possession of Asia, 
there would be nothing left for him to do. 

You may readily imagine, therefore, that he was not 
very sorry when his father died before the expedition 
could be undertaken; for he thus became, at twenty, 
master of an immense army and of great riches, and 
head of all the Greek cities, which were then the finest 
in the world. 

The news of Philip's death was received with great 



233 

joy by the Athenians also, who thought they would now 
be free. Demosthenes, in particular, was so glad to be 
rid of his hated foe, that he ran all through the city 
with a crown of flowers on his head, shaking hands 
with everybody he met, and shouting his congratula- 
tions. 

His joy was so great, because he and all his fellow- 
citizens fancied that a mere boy like Alexander would 
never be able to hold his own, and because they hoped 
to become again the leading people of Greece. 

The Thracians, who also thought that Alexander would 
not be able to carry out his father's plans, now re- 
volted, and the young king was obliged to begin his 
reign by marching against them. 

Three months passed. The Greeks heard no news of 
Alexander or of his army, and fancied that he had been 
defeated and killed. The Thebans, thinking the right 
moment had come, suddenly rose up, and said that they 
would never again submit to the Macedonian yoke, but 
would stay free. 

They soon had cause to repent of this rash talk. 
Alexander was not dead, but had conquered the Thracians 
completely. Without stopping to rest, he now marched 
straight down into Boeotia, and besieged and took Thebes. 
All the inhabitants were either slain or sold into slavery, 
the walls torn down, and not a single building was left 
standing, except the house of Pin'dar, a Greek poet, 
whose songs Alexander had always admired. 

The other Greek cities, frightened by the terrible pun- 
ishment of Thebes, sent messengers to the young king, 
offering not only to obey him as their chief, but also to 



234 

supply all the men, money, and stores he wished for the 
expedition to Asia. Alexander graciously accepted all 
these proposals, and then marched southward as far as 
Corinth. 



o-oj#<00 

XCIV. ALEXANDER AND DIOGENES. 

EVERYBODY bowed down before Alexander, and all 
looked at him with awe and respect, as he made 
his triumphant progress through Greece, — all except 
the sage Di-og'e-nes. 

This man belonged to a class of philosophers who 
were called "cynics," which means "doglike," because, 
as some say, they did not care for the usual comforts 
of life. 

It is said that Diogenes, the principal philosopher of 
this kind, chose as his home a great earthenware tub near 
the Temple of Ce'res. He wore a rough woolen cloak, 
summer and winter, as his only garment, and ate all his 
food raw. His only utensil was a wooden bowl, out of 
which he drank. 

One day, however, he saw a child drinking out of its 
hollow palm. Diogenes immediately threw away the 
bowl, saying he could do without luxury as well as the 
child; and he drank henceforth from his hand. 

As you see, Diogenes was a very strange man. He 
prided himself upon always telling the truth, and upon 
treating all men alike. Some of his disciples once met 
him wandering about the streets with a lantern, anx- 
iously peering into every nook and corner, and staring 



235 

fixedly at every person he met. When asked what he 
was looking for so carefully, yet apparently with so little 
hope, he bluntly answered, " An honest man." 

Alexander had heard of this queer philosopher, and 
was anxious to see him. He therefore went to the Temple 
of Ceres, escorted by all his courtiers, on purpose to visit 
him. Diogenes was lying on the ground in front of his 
tub, warming himself in the rays of the sun. 

Alexander, drawing near, stood between the philosopher 
and the sun, and tried to begin a conversation ; but 
Diogenes gave surly answers, and seemed to pay little 
heed to his visitor. 

At last the young king proudly remarked, " I am 
Alexander the king ! " 

"And I," replied the philosopher in exactly the same 
tone, "am Diogenes the cynic!" 

As he could win nothing but short or rude answers, 
Alexander was about to go away, but he first asked the 
sage if there was anything he could do for him. "Yes," 
snapped Diogenes ; " stand out of my sunshine ! " 

The courtiers were shocked at this insolent behavior, 
and began to talk of the philosopher in a scornful tone 
as they were moving away. Alexander, overhearing them, 
soon stopped them by saying, "If I were not Alexander, 
I should like to be Diogenes." 

By this remark he wished them to understand, that, if 
he could not be master of all earthly things, he would 
rather despise them. 

Strange to relate, Alexander the king, and Diogenes the 
cynic, died on the same night, and from the same cause. 
Diogenes died in his tub, after a too plentiful supper from 



236 

the raw leg of an ox; while Alexander breathed his last 
in a Bab-y-lo'ni-an palace, after having eaten and drunk 
to excess at a rich banquet. 



3*K< 



XCV. ALEXANDER'S BRILLIANT BEGINNING. 

AS soon as the Greek states had all been brought to 
a proper state of obedience, Alexander prepared to 
conquer Persia, although he had a force of only 34,500 
men. These men were very well trained, however, and 
promised to be more powerful on the battlefield than 
the million warriors of Xerxes. 

In his joy at departing, Alexander made rich presents 
to everybody, until one of his advisers modestly reminded 
him that his treasure was not boundless, and asked him 
what he would have left when he had given away all 
he owned. 

" My hopes ! " answered Alexander proudly, for he 
expected to conquer not only Persia and Asia Minor, 
but all the known world. 

While his army slowly made its way along the coast 
and across the Hellespont, Alexander, attended by only 
a few followers, sailed straight for Troy, the ancient 
Asiatic city. 

He landed on the desert plain where the proud city 
had once stood, visited all the scenes of the mighty 
conflict, and offered sacrifices on the tomb of Achilles, 
while his friend He-phses'ti-on did the same on that of 
Patroclus. 



237 

* 

When this pious pilgrimage to the tomb of his ancestor 
was over, Alexander hastened to join the army, for 
he longed to do like the ancient Greeks, and win a 
glorious victory. 

His wishes were soon granted, for before long he met 
the Persian army near the Gra-ni'cus River, where a 
terrible battle was fought. Alexander himself joined in 
the fighting, and would certainly have been killed had 
not his friend Clytus, the son of his old nurse, rushed 
to his rescue and saved his life. 

In spite of the size of the Persian army^ which was 
much larger than his own, Alexander won a complete 
victory at the Granicus. Then, marching southward, he 
took the cities of Sardis and Ephesus without striking 
another blow. These towns were very rich, and offered 
of their own free will to pay him the same tribute that 
they had given to the Persians. 

Alexander, however, would not take it, but bade them 
use the money to rebuild the Temple of Diana, which 
had been burned to the ground on the night he was 
born. As the sacred image of the goddess had been 
saved, the E-phe'sians gladly built a second magnificent 
shrine, which was visited many years later by Paul, the 
disciple of Christ. 

From Sardis and Ephesus, Alexander marched on into 
the province of Ca'ri-a. Here the queen of the country 
warmly welcomed him, adopted him as her son, and even 
proposed to give him her best cooks, so that they might 
prepare his food for him on the march. 

Alexander thanked her heartily for this kind offer, but 
declined it, saying that his tutor Aristotle had given 



2 3 8 

* 
him the very best recipe for making him relish his 
meals. 

The queen, whose appetite was fanciful, eagerly asked 
what it was ; and Alexander smilingly answered, " A 
march before daybreak as the sauce for my dinner, and 
a light dinner as the sauce for my supper." 

This was, as you may see, a very good recipe ; and 
if Alexander had always remembered to be temperate, as 
Aristotle had advised, he would not have died of over 
eating and drinking at the age of thirty-three. 



-oo^QtJoo- 



XCVI. THE GORDIAN KNOT. 

ALEXANDER did not stop long in Caria. Marching 
onward, he soon came to the city of Gor'di-um, in 
Phryg'i-a, where Mi'das had once reigned. In one of 
the temples the people proudly showed Alexander the 
cart in which this king rode as he entered their city. 

The yoke was fastened to the pole by a rope tied in 
a peculiar and very intricate knot. Now, it seems that 
an ancient prophecy had declared that whoever untied 
the Gordian knot would surely be master of all Asia. 

Of course, as Alexander had set his heart upon con- 
quering the whole world, he looked at this knot with 
great interest ; but a few moments' careful examination 
made him feel sure that he would not be able to untie it. 

Rather than give it up, however, Alexander drew his 
sword, and cut it with a single quick stroke. Ever since 
then, when a person has settled a difficulty by bold or 




Alexander cutting the Gordian Knot. 



240 

violent means instead of patiently solving it, the custom 
has been to say that he has "cut the Gordian knot," in 
memory of this feat of Alexander's. 

From Gordium, Alexander next passed on to Tar'sus, 
which also became subject to him ; and shortly after that 
the young conqueror nearly lost his life. 

He had been exposed to the hot sun, and had thus 
become terribly overheated, when he came to the river 
Cyd'nus. This stream was a torrent whose waters were 
very cold, but, in spite of all that his attendants could 
say, Alexander insisted upon taking a bath in it. 

The sudden chill brought on a cramp, and he would 
have been drowned had not some of his people plunged 
into the water, and pulled him out. As it was, his im- 
prudence brought on a serious illness, and for a short 
time Alexander's life was in great danger. 

His physician, however, was Philip, a Greek doctor, 

who had attended him ever since he was born, and who 

now took great care of him. When the fever was at 
< 

its worst, he said he hoped to save the king by means 
of a strong medicine which he was going to prepare. 

Just after Philip went out to brew this potion, Alex- 
ander received a letter which warned him to beware of 
his physician, as the man had been bribed by the Persian 
king, Darius III., to poison him. 

After reading the letter, Alexander slipped it under his 
pillow, and calmly waited for the return of his doctor. 
When Philip brought the cup containing the promised 
remedy, Alexander took it in one hand, and gave him 
the letter with the other. Then, while Philip was read- 
ing it, he drank every drop of the medicine. 



241 

When the physician saw the accusation, he turned 
deadly pale, and looked up at his master, who smilingly 
handed back the empty cup. Alexander's great trust in 
his doctor was fully justified; for the medicine cured him, 
and he was soon able to go on with his conquests. 



aXXoo- 



XCVII. ALEXANDER'S ROYAL CAPTIVES. 

ALEXANDER was marching southward, and Darius 
was hastening northward with a vast army, hoping 
to meet him and to prevent his advancing any farther. 

By a singular chance it happened that the two armies 
missed each other, and passed through separate defiles 
in the same range of mountains. Alexander became 
aware of this first, and retraced his steps without delay, 
for he was anxious to find and defeat the enemy. 

The two armies soon met at a place called Is'sus, 
where the Persians were routed. Darius was forced to 
flee, and his mother, wife, and family were made cap- 
tives. 

As soon as the battle was over, Alexander went to 
visit the royal ladies in their tent, to assure them that 
they would be treated with all respect. He was accom- 
panied by his friend Hephaestion, who was somewhat 
taller and larger than he. 

As they entered the tent, in their plain armor, the 
queen mother, Sis-y-gam'bis, mistook Hephaestion for 
the king, and fell down upon her knees before him, 
begging his mercy for herself and her children. When 

STO. OF GR. — 1 6 



242 

she found out her mistake, she was greatly dismayed ; 
but Alexander kindly reassured her by leaning upon 
his friend's shoulder, and saying of him, " He is my other 
self." 

The young conqueror treated the Persian ladies with 
the utmost kindness, and often visited them in their own 
tent, to talk for a while with them. As he always found 
them idle, he fancied that time must hang very heavily 
upon their hands, and once offered to have them taught 
to spin and weave, as the Greek ladies were wont to do. 

At this proposal, Sisygambis burst into tears, and 
asked if he wished to make slaves of them, for Persian 
ladies considered any labor a disgrace. Alexander, see- 
ing her grief, hastened to comfort her, and tried to 
explain how happy the Greek ladies always seemed 
over their dainty work. 

But when he understood that the royal family would 
rather remain idle, he never again proposed to furnish 
them with occupation of any kind. On the contrary, 
he was so gentle and respectful, that Sisygambis soon 
learned to love him, and used to treat him like her own 
son. 



^x>X*4< 



XCVIII. ALEXANDER AT JERUSALEM. 

DARIUS, as we have seen, had fled after the disas- 
trous battle of Issus. His terror was so great that 
he never stopped in his flight until he had reached the 
other side of the river Ti'gris, where he still believed 
himself safe. 



243 

Instead of going after Darius at once, Alexander first 
went southward along the coast ; for he thought it would 
be wiser to take all the cities near the sea before he 
went farther inland, so as to make sure that he had no 
enemies behind his back. 

Marching down through Syr r i-a and Phce-nic'ia, Alex- 
ander took the cities of Da-mas'cus and Si'don, and 
came at last to Tyre, a prosperous commercial city built 
on an island at a short distance from the shore. 

The TyrTans would not open their gates and surren- 
der, so Alexander prepared to besiege the city. As he 
had no fleet, he began to build a great causeway out 
to the island. 

This was a very difficult piece of work, because the 
water was deep ; and while his men were building it, 
they were greatly annoyed by showers of arrows, stones, 
and spears from the walls of the city and from the decks 
of the Tyrian vessels. 

A storm, also, broke the causeway to pieces once, when 
it was nearly finished, and the army had to begin the 
work anew. The obstinate resistance of Tyre made 
Alexander so angry, that he celebrated his final victory 
by crucifying a large number of the richest citizens. 

After offering up a sacrifice to Hercules on the flam- 
ing ruins of Tyre, Alexander went on toward Je-ru'sa-lem. 
His plan was to punish the Jews, because they had helped 
his enemies, and had supplied the Tyrians with food. . 

The news of his coming filled the hearts of the Jews 
with terror, for they expected to be treated with the same 
frightful cruelty as the Tyrians. In their fear they knew 
not whether to surrender or fight. 



244 

Finally Jad-du'a, the high priest, had a vision, in which 
an angel of the Lord appeared to him, and told him what 
to do. In obedience to this divine command, he made 
the Le'vites put on their festal garments, and then, 
dressed in his priestly robes, he led them down the hill 
to meet the advancing conqueror. 

When Alexander saw the beautiful procession, headed 
by such a dignified old man, he quickly got down from 
his horse, knelt before Jaddua, and worshiped the name 
written on his holy vestments. 

His officers, astonished at this unusual humility, finally 
asked him why he did such honor to a foreign priest. 
Then Alexander told them of a vision he had had before 
leaving Macedon. In it he had beheld Jaddua, who bade 
him come over to Asia without fear, as it was written 
that the Persians would be delivered into his hands. 

Walking beside the aged Jaddua, Alexander entered 
the holy city of Jerusalem and the courts of the temple. 
Here he offered up a sacrifice to the Lord, and saw the 
Books of Daniel and Zech-a-ri'ah, in which his coming 
and conquests were all foretold. 

oo^e^oo 



XCIX. THE AFRICAN DESERT. 

AFTER staying a few days in Jerusalem, Alexander 
continued on his way to Egypt, which he quickly 
conquered also. Here he founded a new city at the 
mouth of the Nile, and named it Al-ex-an'dri-a, after 
himself. It was so favorably located, that it soon became 



245 

an important town, and has continued so even till the 
present day. 

Then, having heard that there was a famous temple in 
Lib'y-a, dedicated to Jupiter, Alexander resolved to go 
there and visit it. The road lay through an African 
desert, and the journey was very dangerous indeed. 

The soldiers toiled painfully along over the burning 
sand, in which their feet sank up to the ankles. The 
blazing African sun fell straight down upon their heads, 
and made them stagger and grow faint with the heat. 

From time to time a hot wind, the simoom, blew over 
the desert, raising great clouds of dust, and choking 
men and horses as it rolled over them like a torrent, 
burying them under its shifting waves. 

The horses died from thirst and fatigue, for such ani- 
mals are not fit for travel in the desert. The only 
creature which can journey comfortably over the dreary 
waste of the Sa-ha'ra is the camel, whose stomach is made 
in a peculiar way, so that it can drink a large quantity 
of water at a time, and store it up for future use. ' 

Undaunted by fatigue or danger, Alexander pressed 
onward. Like his soldiers, he suffered from heat and 
thirst ; and like them, too, he was deceived by the mirage. 

This is an optical effect due to a peculiar condition of 
the desert atmosphere. The traveler suddenly sees trees, 
grass, and running water, apparently a short distance 
before him. He hastens eagerly forward to lie in the 
shade, and to plunge his hot face and hands in the 
refreshing stream ; but when he reaches the spot where 
he saw water and trees, there is nothing but sand, and 
he sinks down exhausted and cruelly disappointed. 



246 

After enduring all these hardships, Alexander arrived 
at last at the oasis, or green island in the sandy desert, 
where the Temple of Jupiter stood. The priests led him 
into the holy place, and, hoping to natter him, called 
him the son of Jupiter. 

After resting for some time in this pleasant spot, Alex- 
ander and his men again braved the dangers of the 
desert, went back to Alexandria and Tyre, and from 
there began the long-delayed pursuit of Darius. 

The Greek soldiers had suffered so many hardships 
since beginning the war, that they were now ready for 
anything. They crossed the Eu-phra'tes over a hastily 
built bridge; then coming to the Tigris, where neither 
bridge nor boats could be found, they boldly swam across 
the river, holding their shields over their heads to pro- 
tect themselves from the arrows of the Persians who 
stood on the other bank. 

Alexander was always the first to rush forward in 
battle, and he now led the way across the river. He was 
longing to meet the Persians again, and was very glad 
to overtake them on the other side of the Tigris. 

Here, on the plains of Ar-be'la, the third great battle 
was fought, and Alexander won the victory. Darius 
fled once more before the conqueror, while Alexander 
marched straight on to Bab'y-lon, the most wonderful 
city in the East. 



247 



C. DEATH OF DARIUS. 

ALEXANDER soon won the good will of the Baby- 
lonians by allowing them to rebuild the Temple of 
Bel, which had been destroyed. He also secured the 
affections of the captive Jews ; for he excused them from 
doing any work on this building as soon as he heard 
that they considered it the Tower of Babel, and hence 
objected to aiding in its erection. 

The young conqueror spent one month in Babylon, and 
then went on to Su'sa. There he found the brazen statue 
of Athene which Xerxes had carried off to Persia; and he 
sent it back to the Athenians, who received it with much 
joy. 

The Persian queen now became very ill, and, in spite 
of the utmost care, she soon died. Throughout her ill- 
ness, Alexander was most thoughtful and attentive; and 
when she died, he gave orders that she should be buried 
with all the pomp due to her high rank. 

He also comforted the mourning Sisygambis, and sent 
the news of the queen's death to Darius, who had fled 
to the northern part of his kingdom, where he was hastily 
gathering together another army. Touched by Alex- 
ander's conduct, Darius now wrote to him, offering peace, 
and proposing to share the throne of Persia with him. 

The young conqueror's head had been turned by his 
many victories, and he was growing more haughty every 
day : so he proudly refused this proposal, saying that 
the world could not have two masters any more than 
two suns. * 



248 

In his pride, Alexander now assumed the dress and 
state of an Oriental king, surrounded himself with luxury, 
and spent most of his time in feasting and revelry. His 
courtiers encouraged him in this folly, and he soon forgot 
the wise lessons taught by Aristotle. 

On several occasions the young king drank so much 
that he did not know what he was doing ; and once, in 
a fit of drunken rage, he set fire to the beautiful palace 
of Per-sep'o-lis, and burned it to the ground. 

As he had refused Darius' offers of peace, he soon 
considered it necessary to continue the war : so, laying 
aside his jeweled robes, he put on his armor and set 
out for the north. He was about to overtake the Per- 
sian king, when Darius was mortally wounded by one 
of his followers named Bes'sus. 

The traitor thought that he would win Alexander's 
favor by this crime, and came and boasted of it to him. 
Alexander was so angry, however, that he bade his guards 
seize Bessus, and had him put to death in the most bar- 
barous way. 

When the Macedonian king finally came up with 
Darius, he found him bathed in his own blood, and 
breathing his last. He had only time to assure him of 
the safety of his family, and to promise to continue to 
protect them, before Darius sank back dead. 

By Alexander's orders the body was embalmed, and 
carried to Sisygambis, so that it could be properly buried 
in the beautiful tomb of the Persian kings. This last 
act of generosity quite won the aged queen's heart; and 
she felt so grateful, that she loved Alexander as long as 
he lived. 



249 



CI. DEFEAT OF PORUS. 

NOW that Darius was dead, Alexander took the Per- 
sian title of "Shah in Shah" (king of kings), and 
became ruler of all the empire which had been subject 
to the Persian monarch. 

He was so proud of his new state and of his vast 
conquests, that he entirely forgot that he owed them 
mostly to his brave generals and soldiers ; and he be- 
came so obstinate, that he would no longer listen to any 
advice, and only thought of having his own way. 

His father's general, Parmenio, who had always given 
him the wisest counsel, was no longer in favor, because 
he tried to restrain the king's extravagance. Indeed, 
Alexander's once generous and noble nature was so 
changed, that, when his courtiers accused Parmenio of 
treachery, he listened to them, and actually put the faith- 
ful general to death. 

Every day now Alexander indulged in feasts and ban- 
quets, always drinking more and more, although it was 
affecting his health as well as his temper. Clytus, the 
son of his old nurse, tried to check his excesses, but 
only succeeded in provoking his wrath. 

On one occasion such remonstrances so enraged Alex- 
ander, that in his drunken fury he seized a spear and 
killed Clytus. When he saw him dead at his feet, the 
king realized what a terrible crime he had committed, 
and felt deep remorse for a short time. 

He reformed, and, instead of giving himself up en- 
tirely to pleasure, spent the next two years in the work 



250 

of governing Persia, where he founded several cities 
called by his name. 

As all the central part of Asia now acknowledged his 
rule, he next went down into India, where he found 
King Po'rus, the bravest adversary he had ever met. 
This king, whose realm was in the northwestern part of 
India, came against Alexander with a very large army. 
In the ranks were many elephants, trained to crush the 
enemy beneath their huge feet, and bearing on their 
broad backs wooden turrets filled with brave fighting 
men and good archers. 

In spite of these elephants, which at first awakened 
great fear in the Greek soldiers, the Macedonian phalanx 
won the victory as usual, and Porus was made prisoner. 
He was led into the presence of Alexander, who 
haughtily asked him how he expected to be treated. 
" Like a king ! " was the proud reply. 

This answer so pleased Alexander, that he not only 
set Porus free, but even allowed him to keep his king- 
dom, after he had sworn to be the faithful subject of 
his conqueror. 

Alexander, having thus won the help and affection of 
Porus, made war against several other Indian kings, and 
continued his advance toward the south. In one of 
these battles he lost his faithful steed Bucephalus, which 
had borne him safely through many a fight. 

Alexander felt this loss deeply, and not only had a 
monument built over his remains, but also founded a 
city near by, which was called Bu-ceph'a-la. 



251 



CII. THE RETURN TO BABYLON. 

UPON reaching the Hyph'a-sis River, Alexander would 
have liked to cross it, and continue his conquests; 
but his soldiers now refused to go any farther. They 
were tired of fighting and danger, and were longing to 
go back to Macedon. 

Although he was unwilling to do so, Alexander was 
therefore obliged to stop in his conquests; but, instead 
of going home as he had come, he now built a fleet, 
and sailed down the In'dus River to the sea. 

Now, the Greeks had no maps such as we have; and 
their knowledge of geography was very small. When 
Alexander came to the sea, however, he thought it must 
be the same as that into which the Euphrates flowed. 

To find out if this was true, he bade his admiral, 
Ne-ar'chus, sail along the coast and explore it, while the 
army went homeward on foot. Alexander himself staid 
with the army, and led the soldiers along -a new way, 
which was very wearisome and dangerous. 

The Macedonians had to pass through large wastes 
of burning sand, where they suffered a great deal. 
They were cheered and encouraged, however, by the 
example of Alexander, who nobly shared their hard- 
ships, and always went ahead of them on foot, carrying 
his own armor. 

Once, when they were panting with thirst, some of 
his men found a little water, which they brought him. 
Rather than indulge in anything which all could not 
share with him, Alexander poured the water out upon 



252 

the sand, saying he would refresh himself only when 
his men could do so too. 

After many months of weary travel and great suffer- 
ing, the army finally joined the fleet at the mouth of 
the Euphrates, for Nearchus had in the mean while sailed 
all along the northern coast of the Indian Ocean and 
up the Persian Gulf. 

He wrote an account of this wonderful sea journey, 
which was of great importance, as it opened a new and 
convenient road for Eastern commerce. The people soon 
took advantage of it to establish colonies and trading 
stations, and to carry on a lively business with the East. 



CIII. DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT. 

ALEXANDER now went back to Babylon, where he 
married Rox-an'a, a Persian princess, giving her 
sister's hand to his intimate friend Hephaestion. This 
wedding was celebrated with great pomp, for eighty 
Macedonian officers took Persian wives on the same day. 

The feasting for the weddings went on for many days, 
and the revelry was carried to such a shameful excess, 
that Hephaestion actually drank himself to death. 

In token of sorrow, Alexander built him a fine tomb, 
had him buried with all the magnificence possible, and 
even decreed that he should henceforth be worshiped 
as a god. In this folly he was upheld by the priests, 
who were now ready to grant his every wish, and were 
always filling his mind with their senseless flatteries. 



253 

Alexander then fell into his old habits more than ever. 
He had again assumed all the pomp of an Eastern king, 
and sat on a wonderful golden throne. Over his head 
was the golden vine that had formerly belonged to 
the first Darius. Its leaves were of emeralds, while its 
grapes were clusters of fine carbuncles. 

This vine had been given to a Persian king by Crce'sus, 
the wealthy ruler of Lyd'i-a, and was considered one of 
the most precious treasures which the young conqueror 
had won. 

But in spite of all Alexander's successes, he was not 
nearly so happy as he used to be when only king of 
Macedon. He no longer enjoyed the fine health which 
had helped him to bear the greatest hardships, and, 
weakened by over eating and drinking, he soon fell 
dangerously ill. 

The doctors crowded around his bed, doing their best 
to save him, but they soon saw that he would die. 
When the Macedonian soldiers heard this, they were 
beside themselves with grief, and one and all insisted 
upon seeing their beloved leader once more. 

Silently and sadly they filed past his bed, gazing 
upon the dying face which they had seen so bright and 
full of life a short time before. As most of the soldiers 
were older than their king, they had never expected to 
outlive him ; and every one said that it was sad to die 
thus, at thirty-three, when master of nearly all the 
known world. 

Just before he died, some one begged Alexander to 
name his successor. He hesitated for a moment, then 
drew his signet ring from his finger, gave it to Per-dic'cas, 



255 

his principal general, and whispered that the strongest 
among them should have the throne. 

Alexander's death was mourned by all, for, in spite of 
his folly and excesses, he was generally beloved. Even 
Sisygambis, the Persian queen whom he had taken 
captive a few years before, shed many tears over his 
remains, and declared she had lost a protector who had 
always treated her as kindly as if he had been her own 
son. 

The conqueror's body was laid in a golden coffin, and 
carried in state to Alexandria, the city he had founded 
at the mouth of the Nile. Here a fine tomb was built 
by order of Ptol'e-my, one of Alexander's generals, who 
said that his dead master also should be worshiped as a 
god. 

Ptolemy wanted the body to remain in Egypt be- 
cause an oracle had said that he who buried Alexander 
would be master of his kingdom. 



-o-o^jejoo- 



CIV. THE DIVISION OF THE REALM. 

THE day after Alexander's death there was a sad 
assembly in the palace. All the Macedonian gen- 
erals sat there in silence and dismay, gazing at the 
empty golden throne, upon which Perdiccas had solemnly 
laid the royal signet ring. 

Who was to take the place of the king whose mili- 
tary genius and great conquests had won for him the 
title of " Great " ? It is true that Alexander had a half- 



256 

brother, named Ar-ri-dae'us, but he was weak-minded. 
The only other heir was an infant son, born shortly 
after his father's death. 

The generals gravely talked the matter over, and finally 
said that Arridaeus and the child should be publicly 
named successors of the dead king, while four of their 
own number should be appointed guardians of the princes, 
and regents of the vast realm. 

This decision was considered wise, and the kingdom 
of Alexander was divided into thirty-three provinces, 
each governed by a Macedonian officer, who was to 
hold it in the name of Arridaeus and of the child. 

In dying, Alexander had foretold that his funeral 
would be followed by bloodshed, and this prediction came 
true. The generals who had met so solemnly around 
the empty throne soon became dissatisfied at being only 
governors, and each wanted to be king in his own right, 
of the land intrusted to his care. 

Perdiccas, having received Alexander's signet ring from 
his dying hand, was, of course, their leader, and took 
under his own protection the infant king and the Persian 
mother Roxana. 

He fancied that it would thus be an easy matter to 
keep the power in his own hands, and to govern the 
vast realm as he pleased. But An-tip'a-ter, governor of 
Macedon, no sooner heard that Alexander was dead, 
than he placed the idiot Arridaeus on the throne, pro- 
claimed him king, and began to rule as if he were the 
only regent. 

The other Macedonian generals daily claimed new 
rights, which Perdiccas was forced to grant in order to 



257 

pacify them ; but when it was too late, he found out how 
mistaken he had been, and regretted that he had yielded 
to their demands. 

The various governors, never satisfied with the hon- 
ors given them, were not only suspicious of each other, 
but particularly jealous of Perdiccas, the head of the 
realm. In their envy, they rose up against him ; and for 
many years Perdiccas was forced to hold his own against 
them all, while trying to make his way back to Mace- 
don, where he wanted to place Alexander's son upon the 
throne. 

Mk 
oo^Oo 



CV. DEATH OF DEMOSTHENES. 

WHEN Alexander left for the East, the orator De- 
mosthenes began to urge the Greeks to rise up 
against him, and win back their freedom. All his elo- 
quence, however, was not enough to persuade them to 
make war as long as Alexander lived. 

But when the conqueror's death was made known, 
Demosthenes again tried to arouse them, and this time 
with success. Pho'cion, a cautious Athenian, vainly 
begged the people to wait at least until the news was 
confirmed, saying, " If Alexander is dead to-day, he will 
still be dead to-morrow and on the next day, so that we 
may take counsel at our leisure." 

This wise caution, however, did not suit the Atheni- 
ans, who were joined in their revolt by most of the little 
states and principal towns of Greece, except Sparta. The 
united Greeks soon raised an army, which marched north- 

STO. OF GR. — 17 



258 



ward, and met the Macedonian governor's troops near 
Thermopylae. 

The Greeks were successful here, and, after shutting 
up the enemy in the fortress of La'mi-a, closely besieged 

them. But after a time the Greek 

general was killed ; and, when the 

Macedonians were reenforced, 

they gained a decisive victory. 

This really ended the war; for 

the Macedonian general, Antip- 

ater, broke up the union, and 

made separate terms of peace 

for each city. 

In his anger, Antipater 
said he would punish all 
those who had encouraged 
the Greeks to revolt. He 
soon learned that Demos- 
thenes had been one of the 
principal men to advise the 
s^ uprising, so he sent his sol- 
^ diers to make him prisoner. 
Demosthenes, warned of 
his danger, immediately fled, 
but had only time to take 
refuge in the Temple of Nep- 
tune. There, in spite of the 
holiness of the place, An- 
tipater's guards came to get him. 

Seeing that it would be useless to resist, the orator 
asked for a few moments' respite, that he might write 




^ 



Phocion. 



259 

a letter to his friends. The men consented ; and Demos- 
thenes, closely watched, took up his tablet and the reed 
with which he generally wrote. 

The soldiers saw him trace a few lines, then stop and 
bite the top of his reed, as if thinking about what he 
would say next. But, instead of going on to write his 
letter, the orator soon covered his head with his cloak 
and staid quite still. 

After a few moments' waiting, one of the men went to 
him, and, receiving no answer to his question, drew aside 
the folds of the cloak. He started back in terror, for 
the orator's face was very pale, and he was evidently 
about to die. 

The men quickly carried him out of the temple, so 
that it should not be defiled by death, and then they 
found that the reed with which he wrote was hollow, and 
had contained a deadly drug. Demosthenes had taken 
the poison, thinking that death would be better than 
prison. 

The Athenians now saw that it would have been wiser 
to listen to the cautious Phocion : so they set him at 
the head of their affairs, and promised to obey him. 
Although honest, Phocion was not very clever, and his 
caution little by little became cowardice. 

In his fear of the Macedonians, he allowed them to 
have more and more power ; and Greece a few years later 
was entirely under the rule of Antipater, the Macedo- 
nian governor. 



260 



CVI. THE LAST OF THE ATHENIANS. 

ANTIPATER, although master of all Greece, did not 
treat the people cruelly, for he was very anxious 
to secure friends who would help him to keep his share 
of Alexander's realm. 

He soon heard that Perdiccas was marching home- 
ward with the infant king, who was named, like his 
father, Alexander; and he knew that the general wanted 
to place the child on the Macedonian throne. This plan 
was very distasteful to Antipater. He was not at all 
afraid of the infant Alexander, but he knew that Per- 
diccas would want to be regent, and he wished that 
position himself. 

Rather than give up his authority, Antipater decided 
to fight ; and, as many of Alexander's generals were 
dissatisfied, they all rose up in arms at the same time, 
as we have seen. 

Perdiccas was surrounded by enemies, but he faced 
them all bravely, and even led an army into Egypt to 
subdue Ptolemy, his greatest foe. To reach the enemy, 
the soldiers under Perdiccas were obliged to swim across 
the Nile. Here so many of them were eaten up by huge 
crocodiles, that the rest, angry with their general for lead- 
ing them into such danger, fell upon him and killed him. 

Almost at the same time, Antipater died, leaving his 
son, Cas-san'der, and his general, Pol-ys-per'chon, to 
quarrel over the government of Macedon. Each gath- 
ered together an army, and tried to get as many friends 
as possible, especially among the Greeks. 



26 1 



The Athenians vainly tried to remain neutral during 
this quarrel ; but in the course of the war, Polysperchon 
came into their city, said that Phocion and many other 
great citizens were siding with Cassander, and condemned 
them to die by drinking poison brewed from the hemlock 
plant. 

It seems, however, that there was not enough poison 
ready to kill them all, so the jailer made Phocion give 
him some money to buy more. The noble old man, 
forced to do as he was bidden, gave the necessary 
amount, saying, " It seems that one cannot even die for 
nothing in Athens." 

As he was the last really noted politician in the city, he 
has been called the " Last of the Athenians." No one 
ever dared to uphold the city's power after his death, or 
tried to help it win back its old freedom. 

As soon as Perdiccas was dead, Roxana and her son 
were brought to Macedon, where they were finally placed 
under the protection of Polysperchon. When Olympias, 
the mother of Alexander the Great, saw his infant son, 
she was so anxious to secure the throne for him alone, 
that she slew the idiot king Arridaeus and all his family. 

Under pretext of avenging this crime, Cassander cap- 
tured and slew Olympias ; and then, having won Macedon 
and Greece from Polysperchon, and seeing that there was 
no one left to protect Roxana and the child king, he put 
both mother and son in prison, where they were killed by 
his order shortly after. 

Thus, twelve years after Alexander's death, all his 
family were dead, and his vast kingdom was a prey to 
quarreling, which broke it up into several states. 



262 



CVII. THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES. 

WHEN Perdiccas died, An-tig'o-nus ("the one-eyed") 
was named his successor, and became governor 
of all the Eastern province. He no sooner heard that 
Cassander had murdered Alexander's family, than he 
marched westward, intending to avenge the crime. 

On his way, Antigonus passed through Syria, the land 
governed by Se-leu'cus, and asked that ruler how he had 
spent the money of the kingdom. Seleucus, who had a 
bad conscience, instead of answering, ran away to Egypt, 
where he became a friend of Ptolemy. 

Then, fearing that they would not be able to fight 
against Antigonus successfully, these two generals per- 
suaded Cassander, ruler of Macedon, and Ly-smVa-chus, 
ruler of Thrace, to join them. 

For several years the war was kept up between the 
four allies on one side, and Antigonus and his son De- 
me'tri-us on the other. The field of battle was princi- 
pally in Asia Minor. The fighting continued until the 
generals became weary of warfare, and concluded to 
make peace. 

A treaty was then signed, settling the claims of all 
parties, and providing that al] the Greek cities should 
have their freedom. This done, each went back to his 
own province ; but it soon became evident that the 
peace would not last, for Cassander did not keep his 
promise to make the Greek states free. 

When Cassander's wrongdoing became known, the gen- 
erals called upon Demetrius to bring him to terms. The 



263 

Athenians were so pleased when they heard of this, that 
they received Demetrius with great joy. 

Demetrius was such a good general that he soon man- 
aged to defeat Cassander at Thermopylae ; and when he 
came back to Athens in triumph, the happy people gave 
him the title of " The Preserver," called a month by his 
name, lodged him in the Parthenon, and worshiped him 
as a god. Some time after this, Demetrius conquered 
Ptolemy, who had shown that he would not abide by 
the treaty either. This victory was so great, that De- 
metrius' soldiers said he deserved a reward, and named 
him King of Syria. 

When the other generals heard that Demetrius and 
his father had accepted the title of kings, they too put 
on royal crowns. Then, as each was still jealous of 
the rest, and wished to obtain more land for himself, 
war soon broke out among them once more. 

Demetrius, who had been very lucky in all his wars, 
now planned to take the Island of Rhodes from Ptol- 
emy, King of Egypt. It proved, however, a far more 
difficult thing than he had expected, and, after besie- 
ging the principal city for a whole year, he gave up the 
attempt. 

But he had invented so many machines to try to sub- 
due the city of Rhodes, that every one thought he de- 
served much credit, and they therefore gave him the title 
of Po-li-or-ce'tes ("the city taker"). 

Peace was agreed upon, and Demetrius retreated, 
giving up to the Rho'di-ans all the mighty war engines 
he had brought with him. These were sold for three 
hundred talents (something over three hundred thousand 



264 




Demetrius Poliorcetes. 
(Coin.) 



dollars), and the money thus obtained was used in erect- 
ing a colossal statue in honor of Apollo (or HeTi-os), 

the patron god of the island. 

This marvelous brazen statue, 
which was so fine that it was one 
of the seven wonders of the an- 
cient world, represented the sun 
god, with his head surrounded by 
rays, and with his feet resting one 
on each side of the entrance of the 
port. 

We are told that the Co-los'sus 
of Rhodes, as this statue was generally called, was so 
tall that ships under full sail easily passed under its 
spreading legs in and out of the harbor. 

It stood there for about sixty years, when it was over- 
thrown by an earthquake. After lying in ruins for 
a long time, the brass was sold as old metal. It was 
carried off on the backs of camels, and we are told 
that nine hundred of these animals were required for 
the work. 

Thus vanished one of the much talked of wonders of 
the ancient world. The others were Diana's Temple at 
Ephesus, the Tomb of Mau-so'lus (which was so fine 
that any handsome tomb is sometimes called a mauso- 
leum), the Pha'ros or Lighthouse of Alexandria or Mes- 
sina, the Walls and Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the 
Labyrinth of Crete, and the Pyramids of Egypt. To 
these is often added the Parthenon at Athens, which, 
as you have seen, was decorated by the carvings of 
Phidias. 



265 



CVIII. THE BATTLE OF IPSUS. 

DEMETRIUS, having failed to take Rhodes, now- 
passed over into Greece, hoping to overthrow 
Cassander; but the other kings, growing afraid of him, 
agreed to help the ruler of Macedon. They therefore 
collected a large army, and forced Demetrius to stop 
and fight them all at Ip'sus, in Asia Minor. 

Here, just twenty years after Alexander's death, his 
generals met in a great battle. Seleucus, it is said, 
brought a number of fighting elephants, such as Porus 
had used, which added much to the confusion and fierce- 
ness of the struggle. 

Antigonus, the father of Demetrius, was slain, and 
Demetrius himself was defeated, and driven to Ephesus. 
The Athenians, who had been his friends and allies as 
long as he was prosperous, now basely deserted him. 
They declared themselves his enemies, and made a law 
whereby any one who spoke well of him, or tried to 
make peace with him, should be put to death. 

The battle of Ipsus decided the fate of Alexander's 
kingdom. It was now divided into four principal parts. 
Ptolemy remained master of Egypt, and his family reigned 
there many years, until under Cle-o-pa'tra, the last of his 
race, the country fell into the hands of the Romans. 

Seleucus and his descendants, the Se-leu'ci-dae, had 
the Persian Empire, or Syria and the land between the 
Indus and the Euphrates. The capital of this empire 
was first Se-leu'cia, near Babylon, and later An'ti-och, 
which became a rich and well-known city. 



266 



Lysimachus was given the kingdom of Thrace, which, 
however, soon passed into other hands ; and Cassander 
remained master of Macedon. As for Demetrius, al- 
though he had lost a kingdom at the battle of Ipsus, 
he soon managed to conquer another. 

In his anger at the Athenians, he first marched against 
them, and besieged them in their own city. The Athe- 
nians were frightened, for they knew how well they 
deserved punishment ; but they resisted as well as they 
could, and the siege dragged on for several months. 

At the end of this time there was no food left in 
the city, and the people suffered greatly from hunger. 
Finally they were obliged to yield ; and Demetrius rode 
into Athens in triumph. 

0-0>©<OO 



CIX. DEMETRIUS AND THE ATHENIANS. 

THE Athenians trembled with fear when they saw 
the stern expression on Demetrius' face as he entered 
their city. This terror became still greater when he 
ordered all the principal citizens to assemble in the 
public square. None of the Athenians dared to disobey, 
and they were in no wise reassured when the con- 
quering army surrounded them, each soldier holding an 
unsheathed sword in his hand. 

Demetrius now sternly addressed the citizens, who 
fancied that every moment would be their last. He 
reproved them harshly for their ingratitude and deser- 
tion, and told them that they deserved death at his 
hands ; but he ended his speech by saying that he pre- 



267 

ferred to show his power by granting them forgiveness 
rather than by killing them. 

Then he went on to tell them, that, knowing how 
much they had suffered, he had sent supplies of grain 
to every house, so that when they went home they 
should not find their wives and children starving. 

The sudden reaction from their great terror proved 
almost fatal to the Athenian citizens. But when they 
recovered their breath, the air was rent by a mighty 
shout of joy in honor of the kind conqueror. 

Although Demetrius was as generous as he was 
brave, his end was very sad. After a long life of con- 
tinual warfare, and after conquering and losing Macedon, 
he fell into the hands of his rival and enemy, Seleucus, 
who kept him in prison as long as he lived. 

About this time a new trouble befell Macedon and 
Greece. This was an invasion of the Gauls, who 
came sweeping down from the mountains into Greece, 
in order to rob the temple at Delphi. 

A second time, however, the temple escaped, thanks 
to a terrible thunderstorm, which filled the superstitious 
minds of the robbers with dread. In the sudden dark- 
ness the Gauls fell upon each other, as the Persians 
had done in the days of Xerxes, and fought so desper- 
ately that many were killed. 

The Greeks, remembering former victories, now made up 
their minds to strike a blow in their own defense. They 
collected an army, and defeated the invaders so severely 
that Bren'nus, the leader of the Gauls, killed himself in 
despair, while his followers withdrew to a province in Asia 
Minor, which from the Gauls was called Ga-la'tia. 



268 



CX. THE ACH^AN LEAGUE. 

WHILE the generals and successors of Alexander 
were busy trying to crush one another, most 
of the Greek towns, left to their own devices, had become 
small republics. But instead of forming a union, they 
became so jealous, that they began to quarrel and even 
to fight among themselves. 

As the quarrels became more bitter, two parties or 
leagues were formed, which, from the two most impor- 
tant provinces at that time, received the names of Achaean 
and ^E-to'li-an. 

The Achaean League was made up of twelve small 
towns in the Peloponnesus, and was under the leader- 
ship of A-ra'tus, a native of Sic'y-on. When a child, 
Aratus had seen his native city in the hands of a tyrant. 
His father, who was a patriot, had made a bold attempt 
to free the city, but had failed, and lost his life. 
Aratus, who was but seven years of age, heard that his 
father and all his family had been slain, and knew 
that the tyrant would try to kill him too. As he was 
too weak to defend himself, he sought refuge in the 
house of the tyrant's sister, where no one would be 
likely to seek for him. 

This woman, touched by the child's trust, hid him 
cleverly, and, when all danger was over, sent him to 
some friends, where she paid for his board, and had 
him carefully brought up. 

As Aratus was patriotic, he was anxious to finish the 
work which his father had begun. At the age of 



269 

twenty, therefore, he assembled a few comrades, entered 
Sicyon, called all the lovers of liberty to his aid, and drove 
away the tyrant without shedding any blood. 

The town, thus freed, joined the Achaean League, of 
which Aratus soon became the leader. This office was 
elective, and no one was expected to fill it for more than 
a year; but Aratus was so much loved that he was chosen 
leader thirty-five years in succession. 

At this time, Greece and Macedon were under the rule 
of Antigonus Go-na'tas, son of Demetrius ; for this man 
had conquered for himself the second kingdom which 
his father had lost. But now Aratus and the Achaean 
League refused to obey him, so he marched down from 
Macedon to restore order. 

To prevent his advance, and to hinder his getting even 
as much as a foothold in the peninsula, Aratus wanted 
to capture the fortress of Ac-ro-co-rin'thus, which barred 
the Isthmus of Corinth. 

This undertaking was very difficult, because the for- 
tress was perched upon a rock so high and steep that 
it was almost impossible to climb it. 

A traitor, Di'o-cles, however, offered to show Aratus a 
way to climb this rock, provided that he should receive 
a certain reward. Although general of the Achaean 
League, and one of the greatest men of his day, Aratus 
was far from being rich; and, in order to obtain the 
required sum, he had to sell all he had, and even pawn 
his wife's few jewels. 

Then, in the midst of the darkness, one rainy night, 
Diodes led the Achaean soldiers along a steep path, 
which they had to climb in Indian file. 



270 

He brought them safely and unseen into the fortress, 
where they killed most of the Macedonian sentinels, 
and put the guards to flight. As soon as the key of 
the Peloponnesus had been thus daringly won, most of the 
other towns in the peninsula joined the league, and the 
Achaeans gained such victories, that Antigonus Gonatus 
fell ill, and died of grief. 

The Achaean League became stronger and stronger ; 
and, although Sparta and a few other cities remained 
neutral, most of the small towns were freed from their 
tyrants. Such was the importance of the league, that 
the Roman ambassadors once came to ask for its aid to 
suppress the pirates who infested the neighboring seas. 

This help was cheerfully given, and the Achaeans en- 
tered into a treaty with the Romans. They little sus- 
pected, however, that the city whose name was then 
almost unknown would in less than a hundred years 
become strong enough to subdue them, and be mistress 
over all Greece. 



:>XKcx^ 



CXI. DIVISION IN SPARTA. 

WHILE the Achaean League was doing its best to 
restore Greece to its former power, Sparta had 
remained inactive. The Spartans had changed greatly 
since the days of Lycurgus. They no longer obeyed 
his wise laws, and, instead of being brave and frugal, 
they were greedy, lazy, and wicked. 

One of their kings was named Leonidas; but he was 



271 

in no way like his great namesake, the king who had 
fallen at Thermopylae. Indeed, he married an Eastern 
wife, and to please her assumed all the pomp and led 
the idle life of an Eastern king. 

His fellow-king, on the other hand, was such a miser 
that he heaped up great treasures. When he died, his 
wife and mother were said to have more gold than the 
city and people together. The miser king was succeeded 
by his son, but this young man's sole ambition was to 
restore Sparta to its former condition. 

His name was A'gis. He lived like the Spartans of old, 
practiced all the virtues of his ancestors, and was frugal 
and brave in the extreme. To restore Sparta, real Spar- 
tans were needed, but, in counting them over, Agis found 
that there were only about seven hundred of the old 
stock left. The first move was to restore equality. For 
that purpose, all the money and land would have to be 
equally divided, so Agis began by persuading his own 
mother and grandmother to give up their wealth. Leon- 
idas did not like the plan of equality, and soon openly 
opposed it, although his son-in-law Cleombrotus sided 
with Agis, and upheld it. 

But the people were eager for the new division which 
would make them all equal as of old ; and they were 
so angry with Leonidas for his resistance, that they rose 
up against him, and proposed to depose him by reviving 
an old law which forbade the ruling of a king who 
married a foreign wife. 

Leonidas had time to flee to the Temple of Athene ; 
and when the ephors called him to appear before them, 
he refused to do so, because he feared for his life. As 




'2 

_o 

1c 
O 

-a 

c 



J2 

e 

o 
O 



273 

such a refusal was a crime, the ephors said he should 
not reign any longer, and named Cleombrotus king in 
his stead. 

Leonidas, who had led a selfish, pleasure-loving life, 
was now forsaken by every one except his daughter, 
Chi-k/nis, who gave up her husband and the throne in 
order to console her unfortunate father. She kept him 
company in the temple, cared for him and amused him, 
and, when her husband begged her to come back, she 
answered that her place was rather with her unhappy 
father than with her prosperous husband. 

When it became known that the Spartans were plot- 
ting to kill the unhappy Leonidas, Agis helped him to 
escape, and Chilonis followed him into exile. 

The yEtolian League, which just then was very strong, 
now sent an army across the isthmus to attack the Spar- 
tans. The latter sallied forth under the leadership of 
Agis, who proved such a skillful general, that he not 
only won a great victory, but also drove the yEtolians 
out of the peninsula. 

During the absence of Agis, many of the richest Spar- 
tans who had not yet given up their property refused 
to do so, and when urged by Cleombrotus to obey, they 
revolted against him, and recalled Leonidas. 

Cleombrotus had only time to take refuge in the same 
temple where his father-in-law had once found shelter. 
Here he was soon joined by his wife, Chilonis, who, ever 
faithful to the most unhappy, came thither to comfort 
him. m 

Leonidas was so angry that he would probably have 
treated Cleombrotus with the utmost severity, had not 

STO. OF GR. — 1 8 



274 

Chilonis fallen at his feet and begged him to spare her 
husband's life. Her tears touched her father, and he 
granted the favor she asked, declaring, however, that 
Cleombrotus should go into exile. 

In spite of her father's entreaties to remain with him, 
Chilonis insisted upon accompanying her husband. She 
gave Cleombrotus one of their two children, clasped the 
other to her breast, and left the city, proudly walking 
at her husband's side. 

o-o^gt^oo 



w 



CXII. DEATH OF AGIS. 

HEN Agis heard of the changes which had been 
taking place in Sparta during his absence, he 
quickly went home. On arriving in the city, he found 
the party of the rich so powerful that he could not 
oppose them, and was even forced to seek refuge in a 
temple, as Leonidas and Cleombrotus had each done in 
turn. 

His wife, A-gi-a'tis, forced by illness to stay at home, 
could not show her love by following him there ; but a 
few faithful friends went with him, and kept guard 
over him. Their watchfulness was needed, because Agis 
slipped out of the temple every night to go to the bath 
and refresh himself. 

It happened, however, that two of these friends were 
false. They basely took the bribes offered by the 
ephors for information about the king, and told them 
that he left the temple every night, and for what 
purpose. 



275 

Thus advised, the ephors surprised the little party 
the next night, and thrust Agis into prison. He was 
tried and condemned to death by order of Leonidas, 
and thus died when only twenty-two years of age, after 
having vainly tried for three years to bring the Spartans 
back to their former simplicity and virtue. 

Leonidas, not content with killing Agis, gave the widow 
Agiatis in marriage to his son, Cle-onVe-nes, who was a 
mere boy, several years younger than she. Agiatis soon 
won great influence over the young prince, and told him 
so much about her dead husband, that he tried to follow 
the example of Agis in everything. 

When Leonidas died, Cleomenes succeeded him, and, 
thanks to the teachings of his wife, was both great and 
virtuous. He drove away the ephors, who were rich 
and corrupt, and then distributed all the property equally 
among the people, as Agis had planned. 

When Aratus heard of the reforms made by Cleome- 
nes, he began to fear that Sparta would win back her 
former power, and again try to lord it over the rest of 
Greece. To prevent such a misfortune, he decided to 
attack the Spartan king while he was too young to 
excel in the art of war. 

He therefore advanced with a good army ; but, to his 
surprise and dismay, he was completely defeated by the 
young king. Several of the smaller towns now showed 
a desire to leave the Achaean League and join Sparta, 
so Aratus became more eager than ever to suppress her 
rising power. 

In his eagerness he forgot all caution, and even asked 
help of Antigonus Do'son, King of Macedon, the sue- 



276 

cessor of Antigonus Gonatas. This ruler owed his sur- 
name of Doson ("who will give") to a bad habit of 
promising all kinds of gifts to his followers, — promises 
which were never kept. 

Antigonus Doson was only too glad to send a Mace- 
donian army into Greece, and not only garrisoned the 
fortress on the Isthmus of Corinth, but also sent troops 
on into the Peloponnesus. 



-»o>©<cx>- 



CXIII. THE WAR OF THE TWO LEAGUES. 

THE Achaean and Macedonian armies now met the 
Spartans at Sel-la'sia, in Laconia, where the latter 
were badly defeated, and Sparta fell into the enemy's 
hands. Antigonus was so proud of his victory that he 
burst a blood vessel upon hearing the news, and died 
shortly after. 

Before he closed his eyes, however, he had the satis- 
faction of driving Cleomenes away from Greece into 
Egypt. There the young king fell upon his sword, after 
killing his children, rather than become a slave. Tyrants 
were now allowed again in many of the Greek cities, in 
spite of the remonstrances of Aratus, who learned only 
too late that the Macedonians had come into the Pelo- 
ponnesus merely for the purpose of making themselves 
masters of the country. 

Aratus' eyes were opened. He saw that all his efforts 
were vain, and that, owing to his own imprudence, 
Greece would never again be free. In his grief, his 



277 

presence of mind quite forsook him. He did not know 
what steps to take in order to undo all the harm he had 
done. 

The ^Etolians now became the champions of freedom, 
and marched against the Achaeans, whom they defeated. 
In their distress, the Achaeans once more begged the 
Macedonians to interfere, and send troops into Greece. 

The contest which followed is known as the War of 
the Two Leagues, and lasted for some time. In the 
beginning, the Macedonian king allowed Aratus to take 
the lead, and followed all his directions; but, growing 
weary of this subordinate part, he finally poisoned the 
Achaean leader, and became head of the league himself. 

When the Spartans and ^Etolians, who had joined 
forces, found that the Achaeans and Macedonians were 
likely to prove too strong for them, they also began to 
look around for allies. As the fame of the rising city 
of Rome had reached them, they finally sent thither for 
the help they needed. 

The Romans were then rapidly extending their terri- 
tory, and hoped soon to become masters of the world, so 
they were glad to help the Spartans against the Mace- 
donians, who were already their enemies. 

They therefore speedily came to the Spartans' aid, set 
fire to the Achaean and Macedonian ships, and defeated 
their armies so sorely, that Philip was obliged to beg for 
peace and to give them his son as a hostage. 

The Spartans, having thus freed themselves from the 
yoke of the Achaean League, now fell into far worse 
hands, for they were governed by a tyrant named 
Na'bis, — a cruel and miserly man, who, in order to 



278 



increase his treasure, often had recourse to vile strat- 
agems. 

He had made a cunning instrument of torture, on pur- 
pose to obtain money from any one he wished. This 
was a statue, the exact image of his wife, clad in 
magnificent robes. Whenever he heard that any man 
was very rich, Nabis used to send for him. After treat- 
ing him with exaggerated politeness, the tyrant would 
gently advise him to sacrifice his wealth for the good of 
the state. 

If his guest refused to do so, Nabis would invite him 
to visit his wife, and lead the unsuspecting man close to 
the statue. This was made so as to move by a system of 
cunningly arranged springs, and as soon as the victim came 
within reach, the statue's arms closed tightly around him. 

The terrified guest, caught in an irresistible embrace, 
then found himself drawn closer and closer, and pressed 
against sharp points and knives hidden under the rich 
garments. 

It was only when the tortured man had solemnly 
promised to give up all he owned, that the tyrant Nabis 
would set him free ; but if he resisted, he was killed by 
slow torture, and allowed to bleed to death in the statue's 
embrace. 



>>«<o^ 



CXIV. THE LAST OF THE GREEKS. 



WHEN Aratus died, the principal man in the 
Achaean army was Phil-o-pce'men, a brave and 
virtuous young man. He was patriotic in the extreme, 



279 

and so plain and unassuming that no one would have 
suspected his rank. 

On one occasion, when he had reached the dignity of 
general, he was invited to dine at a house where the 
hostess was a stranger to him. When he came to the 
door, she took him for a servant, on account of his 
plain clothes, and curtly bade him go and split wood. 

Without saying a word, Philopcemen threw aside his 
cloak, seized an ax, and set to work. The host, on 
coming up a few minutes later, was horrified to see 
his honored guest cutting wood, and was profuse in his 
apologies for a mistake which only made Philopcemen 
laugh. 

When Philopcemen heard how cruel Nabis was, he 
wanted to free Sparta from his tyranny. So he entered 
the town at the head of an armed force of men, confis- 
cated the treasures for the benefit of the public, and 
drove Nabis away. 

The Spartans were at first very grateful to the Achaeans 
for freeing them, but they soon began to feel jealous 
of their power, and again rose up in revolt against them. 
This time Philopcemen treated the Spartans with the 
utmost severity, even razing the walls of the city, which 
were never rebuilt. 

Philopcemen was farsighted enough to see from the 
beginning that the Roman alliance would prove bad for 
Greece. He soon discovered that the Romans intended 
to subdue the country, and in order to do so most easily 
were trying to make the people quarrel among them- 
selves. 

All his efforts were therefore directed toward keeping 



28o 



peace, and for a time he was quite successful. But the 
Romans, seeing no other way to bring about a quarrel, 
at last bribed the Messenians to revolt. 

In the course of the war, Philopcemen was led into an 
artfully arranged ambuscade, and was taken in chains to 
Messenia, where, notwithstanding his gray hair, he was 
exposed to the jeers of the common people. 

After thus humiliating him, they led him to the place 
of torture ; but when he heard that his army had escaped 
from the ambush, he fervently cried, " I die happy, since 
the Achaeans are safe." 

This only hastened the end of the brave patriot, who 
has been called the " Last of the Greeks," because he was 
the last to try to maintain his country's independence. 

The Achaeans soon after took the town of Messenia, 
stoned all Philopcemen' s murderers on his tomb, and car- 
ried his ashes to Meg-a-lop'o-lis, his native city, where 
they were buried with great pomp. 

o-o^Q^Oo 



CXV. GREECE A ROMAN PROVINCE. 

FOR centuries the Greeks had been in the habit of 
assembling at Corinth every three years for the 
celebration of the Isthmian games, in honor of Poseidon, 
god of the sea. Here, as at Olympia, there were races, 
wrestling and boxing matches, and contests in verse and 
song; and as usual the prizes were simple crowns of 
olive leaves, which were considered far more precious 
than silver or gold. 



28l 



In 196 B.C. not only were the Greeks present at this 
celebration, but there were also many Romans who wished 
to witness the games. The Greeks were then particularly 
happy because the War of the Two Leagues seemed to 
be ended, and the country was at peace. 

In the midst of the festival, Quin'tius Flam-i-ni'nus, 
the Roman consul, mounted the orator's block, and pro- 
claimed that the Roman army had just won a great 
victory over the revolted King of Macedon, and that 
the Greek states were now indeed free. 

These tidings were received with such a tumult of 
joyful cries, it is said, that a flock of birds that were 
flying overhead fell to the earth, stunned by the shock 
of cheers which rent the air. 

This joy, however, did not last very long, for the new- 
won freedom of Greece existed in name only. As soon 
as the Romans had completed the conquest of Macedon 
under its last ruler, Perseus, they prepared to annex 
Greece also. 

Their first move was to accuse the Achaeans of send- 
ing aid to Macedon. Under this pretext, one thousand 
leading citizens were seized, and sent to Rome to be 
tried. 

Here they were kept in exile for many a year, long- 
ing to go home, and fuming against their detention. 
When they were finally allowed to return, they were so 
imbittered, that, as the Romans had foreseen, they soon 
stirred up a revolt among the Achaeans. 

yE-mil'i-us Pau'lus, the conqueror of Macedon, then 
marched into Greece, and swept over the whole country. 
He took the city of Corinth, and burned it to the ground, 



282 



after carrying off many of its most precious works of 
art to adorn his triumph. 

Such was the ignorance of the Romans at that time, 
however, about all matters of art, that the sailors who 
were to carry these treasures to Rome were warned by 
the consul to be careful, as they would have to replace 
any article they had damaged or lost. 

The Romans then placed garrisons in the principal 
Greek towns, and the country became a mere province 
of Rome, under the name of Achaia. 

Thus ends the history of ancient Greece, which, though 
so small, was yet the most famous country the world 
has ever known, — the country from which later nations 
learned their best lessons in art, philosophy, and liter- 
ature. 



INDEX. 



Academy, gardens of 142 

Achaean League 268-270 

Achaeans exiled to Rome . . . . . . 281 

Achilles, avenges Patroclus 50 

betrays himself 46 

death of 51 

in the Styx 45 

prophecy regarding 44 

Acropolis, captured 88j 96 

Parthenon on 149 

statue of Athene on 115 

temple to Theseus near . . . 28, 143 

Adrastus 37 _ 4° 

JEgean Sea, derivation of name .... 27 
Persian vessels forbidden to enter . .147 

./Egeus 27 

iEgina, Draco at Island of 88 

JEneas, escape of 53 

JEtotian League 268, 273 

Agamemnon, insults priest of Apollo . . 48 

King of Mycenae 44 

Age of Pericles 146 

Agesilaus, at Coronea 189 

courage of 185, 199 

Agis, condemned to death 275 

type of old Spartans 271 

Alcibiades, anecdotes of . . 161, 163, 164 

hostility toward 166 

killed by Persians 171 

shield of 162 

Alexander 1 197-199 

Alexander the Great, birthplace of . . 227 

crosses Libyan desert 245 

cuts Gordian knot 238 

death of 236, 253 

enters Jerusalem 244 

generosity of 248 

horsemanship of 229, 231 

marriage of 252 

omens concerning 227 

prophecy of 256 

self-denial of 251 

takes title of " Shah in Shah" . . . 249 
tomb of 255 



PAGE 

Alexander the Great, victory of . . 237, 246 

visit of, to Diogenes 235 

Alexandria, founded 244 

Lighthouse of 264 

Ambassador, life of, sacred . . . in, 120 
Amphictyonic Council .... 20, 217, 224 
Anaxagoras, philosopher .... 151, 152 

Antalcidas, treaty of 190 

Antigone 36, 40 

Antigonus Doson 275 

Antigonus Gonatas 269 

Antigonus, " the one-eyed " 262 

Antipater, governor of Macedon, 256, 258, 260 

Apollo sends plague 48 

statue in honor of 264 

Appetite, recipe for good 238 

Aratus, leader of Achaean League . . . 269 

poisoning of 277 

Arbela, battle at 246 

Archon, how elected 87 

origin of title of 57 

Areopagus, court of law 91 

Pisistratus before the 95 

Aristides, anecdote of 118 

burial of 141 

discovers plans of Xerxes . . . .133 

recall of 124 

Aristocrat, derivation of 95 

Aristodemus, daughter sacrificed by . . 72 

first ruler of Sparta 61 

Aristogiton 99, 102 

Aristomenes 73~77 

Aristophanes 173-175 

Aristotle, teacher of Alexander .... 231 

Arridaeus 256, 261 

Artaxerxes, befriends Themistocles . . 140 

oath of 147 

sends for Hippocrates 155 

treachery of 181 

Aspasia 152 

Aster, an archer 220 

Athene, festival in honor of 26 

statue of 115, 149, 247 

temple to . . . .88, 101, 136, 149, 271 



283 



284 



PAGE 

Athene, tree planted by .... 90, 137 

Athenians, at Marathon .... 113-115 

bribery of 189 

build statues 102, 179 

defeat Spartans 56 

extravagance of 141 

heroes among 113, 114 

ingratitude of 117, 119 

last of the 261 

thirty-years' peace of ..... . 148 

Athens, art in 149 

becomes an oligarchy 87 

burning of 132 

called Cecropia 16 

chains of Xerxes in 137 

Olympic games at, in 1896 .... 80 

plague in 155 

purification of 90 

rebuilt • 137 

title of king in 56 

voting in 91, 103 

Athos, Mount no, 124, 126 

Babylon, city of 246 

Hanging Gardens of 264 

Bessus, treachery of 248 

Brennus, leader of Gauls 267 

Bucephalus, meaning of 229 

monument to 250 

Bulis, self-sacrifice of ' 120 

Cadmus 17, 191 

Canal dug by Xerxes 124 

Cassander 260-263 

Cassandra 42 

Ceadas, pit of 75 

Cecropia. See Athens. 

Cecrops founds Athens 16 

Chaeronea, battle at 225 

Charilaus educated by Lycurgus ... 62 

Charon, babe of, as pledge 193 

Chilo dies of joy 86 

Chilonis, self-sacrifice of 273 

Chios, Island of 60 

Cimon, banishment of 146 

death of 147 

generosity of 143 

son of Miltiades 117 

Cleombrotus 195, 273 

Cleomenes 275, 276 

Cleopatra, last of the Ptolemies .... 265 

Clytus 228, 237, 249 

Codrus, heroic death of 56 

Coinage of money 24 

Colchis, Golden Fleece in 25 

Colossus of Rhodes 264 



PAGE 

Comedy of " The Clouds " . . . 174,175 
Corinth, city of 280, 281 

Isthmus of 17, 131 

Coronea . . 148, 189 

Crete, location of 22 

Criminals, punishment of 176 

self-defense of 91 

Crito 177, 179 

Crcesus, ruler of Lydia 253 

Croton, Greek colony 81, 166 

Cunaxa, battle at 180 

Cyclops, meaning of 14 

Cydnus, Alexander bathes in 240 

Cylon 88 

Cyrus, death of 180 

Daedalus invents sails 22 

Damocles' sword 209 

Damon 204-208 

Danaus teaches shipbuilding 17 

Darius, army of, routed 113 

audience chamber of 106 

death of 119, 248 

offers peace to Alexander 247 

resolves to conquer Greece . . 108, 117 

second army of no 

" The Great King " 104 

Decelea, fortification of 168 

Delos, Island of 177, 179 

Delphi, temple at, rebuilding of ... . 101 

robbed 224 

saved by thunderstorm .... 130, 267 

Demeter, festival of 17, 191 

Demetrius, generosity of 266 

imprisonment of 267 

" The Preserver" 263 

Democedes, court physician 107 

Democrat, derivation of 95 

Demosthenes, cowardice of 226 

joy of, at death of Philip 233 

orator 221-223 

takes poison 259 

Deucalion 19, 20 

Diana, goddess 47 

temple of 65, 227, 237, 264 

Diocles, traitor 269 

Diogenes 234, 235 

Dion 210-215 

Dionysius the Elder 202-210 

Dionysius the Younger .... 210-216 
Dionysus, festival and theater of . 92-94 

Draco, cruel lawmaker 87, 88, 91 

" Earth and water," demand for . . . no 

Ecbatana, a walled city 104 

Egyptians, civilization of 12 



285 



PAGE 

Epaminondas, as commander 196 

dying words of 201 

risks own life for Pelopidas .... 191 

Ephesus, founded 56 

taken by Alexander 237 

temple at 227, 264 

Ephialtes, perfidy of 128 

Epimenides, long sleep of 90 

Erostratus wins immortality 228 

Eteocles quarrels with Polynices . . 37-39 
Eurybiades, Spartan king .... 132-134 

Flood of Ogyges 15 

Furies, duty of 36 

Galatia, how named 267 

Golden Fleece, search for 25 

Gordian knot, cutting the 240 

Gordium 238 

Granicus, battle near 237 

Great Greece . . 54 

Great King, The (see also Darius) . . 104 

Greece, alphabet brought to 17 

Egyptians settle in 13 

freedom of 281 

known as Achaia 282 

punishment of criminals in . . . .176 

situation of n 

Greeks, at Thermopylae .... 127, 128 

betrayal of 181 

commercial journey by 26 

geographical knowledge of ... . 251 

gods angry with 54 

last of the 280 

retreat of 182-184 

statue judged by 83 

Troy taken by 53 

truce of 51 

victory of, at Salamis 134 

Hanging Gardens of Babylon .... 264 
Harmodius, kills Hipparchus .... 99 

statue in honor of 102 

Hector, falls by hand of Achilles ... 50 

kills Patroclus 50 

sung by Homer . 60 

Hecuba, dream of 41 

Helen runs away with Paris 43 

Helios. See Apollo. 

Hellas, how named (see also Greece) . 21 

Hellen, second son of Deucalion ... 20 

Hellespont, a narrow strait 109 

bridging the 121 

Helots, Spartan slaves 61 

strike for freedom 145 

temperance taught by 68 



PAGE 

Hephaestion, drinks himself to death . . 252 

friend of Alexander . 236 

mistaken for Alexander 241 

Heracles. See Hercules. 

Heraclidae, banishment of 28 

regain possessions 55 

Heraclides, treachery of 214 

Hercules, birthplace of 28 

festival instituted by 78 

games in honor of 38 

Hermes, destruction of statues of . . . 166 

Heroic Age 25, 57 

Hipparchus 98, 99 

Hippias, Athenian ruler 98 

capture of 102 

Darius' generals guided by . . . .111 

killed 113 

seeks aid from Darius 105 

Hippocrates drives out plague .... 156 

Homer, birthplace of 60 

blindness of 57 

poems of, collected '97 

rank of, as poet 58, 60 

Hot Gateway 20, 125 

Hymettus, honey of 17 

Hyphasis River 251 

Icarian Sea, how named 24 

Icarus flies too high 24 

Ilium. See Troy. 

Immortals, bodyguard of Xerxes . . . 122 

gain Pass of Thermopylae . . . .129 

Inachus teaches Pelasgians 13 

Ionia, derivation of name 21 

location of 56, 104 

Iphigenia rescued by Diana 47 

Ipsus, battle of 265 

Ismene dies of grief 40 

Issus, Persians routed at 241 

Isthmian games 280 

Ithome, fortified city 72, 73 

Jaddua, vision of .> . . 244 

Jason commands the "Argo " .... 25 

Jocasta, kills herself 35 

Queen of Thebes 29 

Jove, thunderbolts of 162 

Jupiter, festival and statue of . . . 78, 79 

temple to 245 

See also Zeus. 

Labyrinth of Crete 22, 27, 264 

Lacedaemon, how named 61 

Laconia, adjective from 66 

clemency shown to 197 

location of 61 



286 



PAGE 

Laius, killed by CEdipus 31 

words of oracle to 29 

Lamia, fortress of 258 

" Last of the Athenians" 261 

" Last of the Greeks" 280 

Lesena, courage of 100 

honor to . . . , 103 

Leonidas I., betrayal of 129 

guards Thermopylae 125 

reply of, to Xerxes 127 

Leonidas II 270-275 

Leuctra, Theban victory at 196 

Libya, temple at 245 

Long Walls, building of 147 

destruction of 170 

rebuilding of 172 

Lyceum, laying out of 96 

Lycurgus, in Spartan history .... 61 

iron money originated by 70 

laws of 62-70 

Macedon, location of 217 

Mantinea, Theban victory at .... 199 
Marathon, battle of 113-115 

situation of 111 

Mardonius, flight of 134 

Mausolus, Tomb of 264 

Mediterranean Sea, islands in .... 13 

stretch of 11 

Megacles, crime of 89, 101 

Megalopolis, tomb in 280 

Menelaus ■ 42, 43 

Messenia 71, 280 

Messenians, bribed by Romans .... 280 

thrown into Ceadas 75 

war against Spartans 145 

Messina, city and colony of . . . 77, 166 

Lighthouse of 264 

Midas, cart of 238 

Miletus 56, 137 

Milo the athlete 81, 82 

Miltiades, at Marathon 112 

conviction and death of 117 

Minerva. See Athene. 

Mirage 245 

Money, coining of 24 

institution of iron 70 

Morea, why so called 55 

Nabis, tyrant 278 

Navigation taught 17 

Nearchus, exploration of 251 

Nemean lion 38 

Nemesis, statue of 116 

Neptune. See Poseidon. 

Nestor the wise man 44 



PAGE 

CEdipus, answers Sphinx's riddle ... 34 

attempted murder of 29 

death of 36 

fulfillment of prophecy concerning 31, 34 

puts out his own eyes 35 

Ogyges, flood of 15 

Olympia, temple at 78 

Olympiad as measurement of time ... 80 

Olympias 227, 261 

Olympic games, bearing arms during . . 126 

excitement at 86 

girls in 84 

renewal of 80 

time reckoned by 80 

Ostracize, derivation of 104 

Panathensea, festival of 26 

Paris, bringing up of 42 

Paros, Island of 116 

Parthenon 149, 264 

Patroclus, armor of Achilles on .... 49 

killed by Hector 50 

sung by Homer 60 

Pausanias, patriotism of mother of . . 139 

successor of Leonidas 134 

walled in 139 

Pelasgians, homes and habits of . ... 12 

remains of, in old tombs 18 

skill of, in building 14 

spinning and weaving by 16 

Pelopidae conquer Heraclidae .... 28 

Pelopidas, exiled Theban 191 

returns in disguise 193 

slain in battle 199 

Peloponnesian War, end of 170 

length of 153 

Peloponnesus, derivation of name ... 24 

Dorians settle in 55 

key of the 270 

laid waste 154 

present name of 55 

Pelops teaches coinage of money ... 24 

Perdiccas, against Ptolemy 260 

receives Alexander's ring 253 

Pericles, death of 156, 157 

eloquence of 154 

idol of the poor 144 

improvement of Athens by ... . 149 

leader of the Athenians 146 

Persepolis, burning of 248 

Perseus builds Mycense 17 

Persian army, route of, to Greece . . . 109 

Persian fleet, destruction of no 

retreat of 115 

Persian vessels shut out of the ^Egean . 147 
Phalanx, Macedonian 218, 250 



28/ 



PAGE 

Pharnabazus ........ 186-188 

Pharos 264 

Phidias, death of 149 

Parthenon decorated by 149, 264 

statues by 79, 116, 149 

Philip of Macedon, ambition of, 217, 220, 226 

at Chaeronea 226 

early training of 217 

formation of Macedonian phalanx by . 218 
gift from, to Demosthenes .... 222 

left eye of, put out 220 

murder of 226 

president of Amphictyonic Council . 225 

wealth of 218 

Philippic, origin of 221 

Philopcemon, anecdote of 279 

" Last of the Greeks " 280 

Philoxenus, a philosopher . „ . . 202-204 

Phocion, caution of 257 

" Last of the Athenians" 261 

Phoenicians, home of 13 

Pindar, house of 233 

Pisistratidae, expulsion of 102 

Pisistratus, death of 98 

hypocrisy of 95 

improvement of Athens by .... 96 

Plataea 134, 136 

Plato, Olympic crown given to ... . 212 

pupil of Socrates 159 

words of Socrates preserved by . 177, 179 
Poliorcetes, " the city taker " .... 263 

Polynices . 37-39 

Porus, Indian king 250 

Poseidon 52, 280 

Priam, begs Hector's body 51 

desertion of Paris by 41 

sung by Homer 60 

Prisoners of war as slaves .... 48,61 
Ptolemy, builds tomb for Alexander . . 255 

conquered by Demetrius 263 

Pyramids of Egypt 12, 264 

••Pyrrha 19, 20 

Pythias 204-208 

Quarries, The 203 

Retreat of the Ten Thousand .... 185 

Rome, Achseans exiled to 281 

art in 282 

power of 270, 277 

Roxana, imprisonment of 261 

wife of Alexander 252 

Sacred Battalion 195, 226 

Sacred War 224 



PAGE 

Salamis, victory at 134, 170 

Sardis, burning of 109 

taken by Alexander 237 

Seleucia 265 

Seleucus 262, 265, 267 

Scyros, Island of, Achilles at .... 46 

Theseus killed at 28, 143 

Shipbuilding taught 17 

Sicyon joins Achaean League .... 269 
Sisygambis, love of, for Alexander 242, 255 
Slaves, prisoners of war as .... 48, 61 

Socrates, accusation against 175 

belief and practice of .... 158,176 

death of 179 

defense of 176 

greatest philosopher of the world . . 171 

last conversation of 177-179 

life of Alcibiades saved by .... 162 

statue of. 179 

Solon, laws of 91, 103, 170 

play acting disapproved by .... 93 

return of, to Athens 97 

Sophocles 94 

Sparta, earthquake at 144 

location of 42 

rebuilding of . . . ..... . 146 

rulers of 55 

two kings of 61 

Spartan, an expression of courage ... 66 

Spartan babes, fate of 63 

Spartan boys, education of .... 63-66 

example of bravery of 65 

fidelity instilled in 67 

test of courage of 65 

trained to steal 65 

Spartan girls, carried off by Messenians . 71 

education of 63, 69 

Spartan mother, admonition of .... 68 
Spartans, ask aid of Athenians .... 74 

at Pass of Thermopylae 129 

attack Amphea ... "I .... 71 

covet Messenia 71 

degeneracy of 172, 270 

force way into Thebes 190 

freed from Achaean League .... 277 

habits of 67, 68, 136 

influence of superstition on . . 111,154 

join in Olympic games 79 

overcome Messenians 75 

rout of three thousand by twelve . . 195 
seize Persian ambassadors . . . .111 
swear allegiance to Lycurgus ... 70 

Sperthias, self-sacrifice of 120 

Sphinx 33. 34 

Styx, power of waters of 45 

Sun, eclipse of 153. '54 



288 



PAGE 

Susa, statue at . . 247 

Sybaris, prosperity of 165 

Syracuse 166, 204 

Temple, at Delphi, command from ... 19 

at Ephesus . 227, 264 

at Libya 245 

at Olympia 78 

of Bel, rebuilding of 247 

of Jupiter 246 

of Neptune 258 

protection by a ... 88, 139, 258, 271 

rebuilding of a 247 

saved by thunderstorm .... 130, 267 

test of courage at 65 

Theagenes, statue of 83 

Theater, the first 93 

Thebes, founding of , 17 

siege of 38-40 

supremacy of 197 

taking of 191, 233 

Themistocles, Athenian general . . . .112 

council planned by 125 

courage of 133 

exiled by Athenians 140 

honor of 140 

jealousy of 116 

Thermopylae, Greeks at ... . 127, 128 

Pass of 20, 125 

Thersander 40, 44 

Theseum 143 

Theseus, bones of 143 

Greek hero 26-28 

Thespians, bravery of 130 

Thespis builds first theater 93 

Thessaly, location of 55 

Thirty Tyrants, the 170-172 

Thrasybulus, statues to 172 

Tigris, Greeks swim the 246 



PAGE 

Torture, instrument of 278 

Tragedy, Greek meaning of 93 

writers of 94 

Troy, burning of 53 

location of 41 

siege of 47-53 

sung by Homer 60 

Truce, hundred years' 28, 55 

Tyrant, meanings of 97 

Tyre, burning of 243 

Tyrtseus leads Spartans 75 

Ulysses, in disguise 46 

sung by Homer 60 

the crafty king 44 

wooden horse of 52 

Vine, golden 106, 253 

Voting in Athens 91, 103 

War, end of Peloponnesian ..... 170 

engines of 124, 263 

First Messenian 71 

length of Peloponnesian 153 

of the Epigoni 40 

of the Two Leagues 277 

Second Messenian 77 

Wonders of the world . . . 149, 228, 264 

Xanthippe 158 

Xenophon 159, 182 

Xerxes I., canal dug by 124 

defeat of 134 

host of 121-124 

sorrow of 122 

vessels of, wrecked 126 

Xuthus rules Athens 21 



Zeus (see also Jupiter) 



77, 151, 162 



Typography by J. S. Cushing & Co., Norwood, Mass. 



LRB S 26 



